


take the spade from my hands (and fill in the holes you've made)

by A_Different_Type_of_Flower



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Family Drama, Gen, Healthy Relationships, Luke is not a great spy if you know him, M/M, Mild Language, Multi, Post-Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Pre-Rogue One, Pre-Star Wars: A New Hope, Skywalker Drama, Some Fluff, Some Humor, Tatooine Culture, Tatooine Slave Culture, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, and everything in between, bc as much as i try i can't really take 'kriff' seriously anymore, i am a 'kriffing' vet and i reserve the right to curse like one, leia finds luke pre death star, names are important, the Skywalker twins really need each other okay?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2018-09-15 04:26:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 48,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9219026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Different_Type_of_Flower/pseuds/A_Different_Type_of_Flower
Summary: AUWith her dying father's last request, eighteen-year-old Leia Organa sets out for the Outer Rim to find an exiled Jedi master and a brother she knew nothing about.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, full disclosure, I wrote this story a million years ago for ff.net. After some SERIOUS edits, I'm posing it on here.
> 
> Title taken from Thistle and Weeds by Mumford & Sons.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dying man, a grieving girl, and a lord of the Sith.

Bail Organa was dying.

He could no longer deny it. He fought bitterly against his illness, but he couldn't hold on. _By the Maker_ , he was tired. His body ached. He didn't want to die. He wasn't ready to die. While he longed to meet Breha’s spirit again, he had so much left to do. He didn't- he couldn't leave his little girl!

Granted, their Leia was eighteen and a senator and spy to boot, but she would be all alone in the galaxy.

Not all alone said a voice in his head. Bail shifted on his bed, trying to banish the thought. Could he leave his daughter all alone? Could he die with her secret? His chest began to shudder with violent coughs and his Leia walked quickly into his room, a glass of water in her hand. Bail tried to grasp the glass but nearly spilled it on his entire front. Leia caught the glass, unemotional, and tilted it towards his lips. His sipped gratefully, the realization slowly sinking to the pit of his stomach.

He was _dying_.

"How are you feeling, Papa?" she asked, placing the glass on his end table.

"I...I am comfortable, Lelila" he said, using her childhood nickname. He saw her swallow, but smile at him, eyes shining. He grabbed her hand and held it to his face, eyes closed. "Oh, my girl, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Papa."

"We were so lucky to have you," Bail said. "Your mother and I always wanted a daughter. We were blessed with you. For us you were- are a joy and a comfort." He paused. "Your birth mother was a good friend. You helped ease the pain of her passing. I-I just wish I knew how to ease yours."

"Papa, don't talk like th-"

"Leia," he said, softly, but with authority, silencing her. "I am dying, my darling."

Tears fell down her cheek. Oh, his brave, strong girl. "B-but I don't want you to die."

"I don't either," he said softly, squeezing her hand. "But I don't think I have much of a choice.” He sighed, steeling himself. “Leia, listen to me. There is something you must know. Your biological parents were extremely important people."

"What?" she said, wiping her tears from her face, confused. "What do they have to do with anything? Why are you telling me this? Who were they?"

"I can't tell you," he said. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. "Leia, your life could be forfeit if…if certain people in the empire knew who they were. I know Lord Vader can see into people's mind an-" he broke off coughing once again.

"That's just a rumor," she said.

"I know it to be true."

"They why hasn't he found out about the Alliance?"

"He can't break into the strong minded. Though he can sense when one lies."

"And I don't have a strong mind?" she asked. She felt as if she was experiencing thirty emotions a second. It was dizzying.

"Darling," he chuckled, "being your father, I know better than anyone how strong your mind is. But," he said soberly "I don't want to take that chance. After…after I pass you will need to find a former Republic general by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

"Yes, he's in hiding. He is a Jedi. He will teach you to guard your mind."

"Where is he?"

"On the outer rim, on Tatooine. You will find him on Tatooine…as well…as well as your brother."

Leia froze. "My…my what?"

"Your brother" Bail repeated, stomach churning.

"I-I have a brother?"

"Yes, he's your twin."

She was silent for a long moment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Leia, it wasn't safe-"

"But-but he is my brother! I don't even know who he is! Why were we separated?"

"Leia, if the empire learned of your existence you would have both been murdered. This was the safest way to keep you both alive. It wasn't fair, but we did what we had to do."

She was silent for another long moment, anger slowly coming in and out like waves of the sea. She was angry that he hadn't told her and angry that he was telling her when he was dying so she really couldn't be angry.

"Do I have any other family that I don't know about?" she asked defeated.

Bail looked at her. "No," he lied with the utmost certainty. Her biological father had been dead for a long time; at least from a certain point of view.

"What's his name?"

"Luke," he said simply, watching her face carefully.

"Luke," she repeated. Suddenly, she was crying again. Bail opened his arms and she embraced him, slipping onto the bed with him, resting her head on his shoulder. He feels so small. The thought made her cry harder.

"Papa, oh, Papa, I love you" she cried.

"Oh, my little girl. My sweet, little Lelila. I love you more than the universe. Remember, I will always love you. No matter what you do and who you meet. I will always love you."

 

* * *

 

Three days later His Highness, Prince Bail Organa, First Chairman and Viceroy of Alderaan, died. The Royal Palace of Alderaan was flooded with dignitaries and other high officials paying their last to the former senator.

On the morning of the funeral, Leia sat in a sitting room forcing down a light breakfast. She had on a long black dress with long sleeves. Her hair was done in a simple mourning braid, falling down her back. She didn't want to eat, but she knew she had a long day ahead of her. As she took a sip of her tea someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," she said. Carlist Rieekan, one of her father's advisors and closest friends, opened the door.

"Good morning, Princess. I'm sorry for bothering you, but I have something for you."

He pulled a small black box and white envelope out of his jacket pocket. Leia stood, taking the box and envelope, recognizing her father's tidy scrawl. She looked up at Carlist with wide eyes.

"Your father gave this to me last week. He wanted you to have this after he died. He was truly a great man, Leia. I will miss him dearly."

She swallowed hard. "Thank you, Carlist."

Carlist squeezed her hand and exited the room. She opened the envelope with shaky hands and unfolded the paper.

_My dearest Leia,_

_If you are reading this, then I have died. I'm so sorry. I love you more than you can ever imagine and will always be with you. In the box Carlist has given you is a pendant that was once your biological mothers. I was told your biological father made it for her. Perhaps it will give you strength in the days to come. Whatever happens, remember that the past cannot define you. You are the defining variable in what happens in your future. I love you._

_Your loving father_

Leia opened the black box and took out the pendant by its worn cord. It was a wood she wasn't familiar with, a light brown. She thumbed over the carvings. She didn't recognize the designs etched onto the smooth surface.

She let out a breath, sinking back into her chair. What was her father playing at? She didn't want to share this hole in her heart with parents she never met. She just wanted to miss him.

And a brother. Somewhere on the Outer Rim, Leia had a brother. It was almost too much to handle.

There was another knock on the door.

"Come in," she said, wiping her face hurriedly.

A shaken up steward entered the sitting room. "Your Highness, Lord Vader wishes to speak with you. Now."

Leia's eyes narrowed momentarily. Of course Lord Vader wanted to speak with her now. Why should Lord Vader do anything he didn't want to? Never minding the people he affected. She stood up, face blank. She clasped her hands behind her back, holding the pendant between her palms.

"Yes, of course. Show him in."

The steward exited, bowing. Moments later, Lord Vader marched in.

"Princess," boomed the deep baritone of Lord Vader, "I've been called on urgent military matters for the Emperor. I will have to leave immediately."

"Of course, Lord Vader" she answered stoically.

"I express my condolences for your father on behalf of the Empire," said the man in the black mask. Vader was a huge hulking figure. It was said he had the strange power the Jedi's of the Old Republic had. Her father had always wanted her to avoid Vader at all costs.

Her grip tightened on the wooden pendant. "Thank you, Lord Vader."

The Dark Lord turned out of the room and walked out without another word, cape billowing out behind him. Leia brought her hand from behind her back and looked at the pendant once more.

"My father would be honored," she said sardonically to herself.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia searches for her brother and makes an unexpected ally.

Leia slumped over her papers, completely disheartened. She was sitting at a small desk in the Mos Eisley archives house. She had poured over the records of from the last eighteen years, and Obi-Wan Kenobi had been frustratingly absent from every single one of them. 

 

Not that she was entirely surprised. If Tatooine was renowned for anything, it was its lack of law and order.

 

She leaned back in her chair, running a hand over her face, and stretched out her legs. Dressed in a pair of beige linen trousers, white button up top, and light blue cloak resting on her shoulders, she looked more like young eighteen-year-old girl than a princess and senator. The small wooden pendant hung around her neck, resting on her chest.

 

 _Well, at least this wasn't a total loss_ she thought to herself, thumbing over her notes. She looked up any boys named Luke that would have arrived on planet around the time of her…their birth.

 

There were none.

 

But then she looked through all schooling records corresponding with their ages, and she found two. Two Luke's:

 

Luke Dryyard and Luke Skywalker.

 

Luke Dryyard lived in Mos Eisley, while Luke Skywalker lived about 80 kilometers from Mos Eisley, near a small town called Anchorhead.

 

She picked up her satchel from the floor and placed it on her lap. She opened it and carefully rummaged within its content, finally picking up a rectangular device. It was small portable bio-sensor. It not only tested glucose, cholesterol, and toxin levels, but also DNA.

 

She held the device to her finger, wincing as it pinched her, drawing a minimal amount of blood. She glanced at the screen and watched as her information flashed onto it. She saved it to the system and put it back in her satchel.

 

Leia almost wanted to give up all hope. What were the chances that she'd ever find this hidden General or this long-lost brother? Especially on this dump of a planet. She should give up now. She would, if she was only looking for General Kenobi, but she wasn't. She knew if she went home now, she'd wonder about Luke for the rest of her life. Did he look like her? What was he like? Was he happy? Did he feel like there was something missing, too?

 

 _Don't give up,_ said a soft voice in her head. _Don't give up._

 

She stood up, feeling strangely empowered. She slipped the satchel on under her cloak, pouch resting on the hip opposite her blaster holster. She flipped her hood over her plainly braided head and walked out of the building.

 

* * *

 

Leia walked into eleven cantinas before she was able to get any information on Luke Dryyard. When the bartender pointed out a man at a round table of six hear heart skipped a beat. Luke Dryyard had broad shoulders and dark brown hair cropped short to his head. She felt slightly sick with nerves.

 

Could this man be her brother?

 

He laughed at a joke made by one of the others and took a large gulp of his drink. Leia took hold of herself and opened her satchel. She removed the miniature lab and lowered her hood. She walked up to the table and cleared her throat. The men looked up at her.

 

"Excuse me, are you Luke Dryyard?" she asked, shifting from one leg to the other.

 

Luke raised a thick eyebrow to his friends before standing to meet her. He was taller than her by a foot at least.

 

"Sure am," he answered, shifting his belt buckle with his hands and looking at his friends again. "And who just might you be?"

 

"Um, well," she said, knowing there was no easy way of doing this. She stuck him with the bio-sensor. If he was her brother than she'd explain; if he wasn't…

 

"Shavit!" he exclaimed, putting the stuck part of his hand in his mouth. Leia stared at the machine.

 

Not a match.

 

Her shoulders sagged. This man was not her brother.

 

"Sorry," she said, beginning to turn. "I thought you were someo-"

 

She felt at strong hand on her wrist and was pulled against Luke Dryyard.

 

"You don't go 'round sticking people like that. Who the frack do ya think you are?"

 

"Let go!" she said, trying to pull away from him. Her other hand reached for her blaster but he grabbed her other wrist in his other hand before she could grasp it. His friends laughed.

 

"Oh, what are you gunna do about it, huh?"

 

"Let me go, _or else_!"

 

He laughed along with his friends. "Oh yeah, I'm real scared now, missy."

 

"Let her go, Dryyard."

 

Leia looked over her shoulder to see a man standing there. He was tall, with light brown hair. He had navy pants with a faded gold line going down each leg, navy vest, with a white shirt underneath it.

 

"Piss off, Solo. This ain't got nothin' to do with you."

 

"Sure, sure. But the lady don't look too happy."

 

"She-" but that was all Dryyard was able to say. In the interim of talking to this man, his grip had loosened on Leia's wrist. She slammed her fist into his jaw with all her might.

 

"Fracking bitch!" he exclaimed, letting go of her completely and grabbing his face. His friends made motions of standing up, but she pulled her blaster out of her holster before any of them were able to blink.

 

"Don't follow me," she said coolly, glancing at 'Solo' and noting that his blaster was out as well. She quickly backed out of the cantina, Solo mirroring her movements. She briskly walked into the bright moonlight and rounded the corner of the cantina. She stopped shortly, causing Solo to bump into her.

 

"Sorry," he muttered.

 

"No, it's fine," she said, pulling her cloak around her and turning to face him. "Thank you."

 

"Don't mention it," he said, looking at her face critically. "You okay?"

 

"Yeah, I'm fine."

 

He held out his hand. "Han Solo."

 

She took it and shook it. "Leia."

 

He smirked slightly at her, not letting go of her hand. "You got a last name with that?"

 

She paused, wary to give out her real name. "Leia…Skywalker" she said, using the first name that came to mind.

 

He nodded and let go of her hand. "Nice to me ya, Leia Skywalker."

 

"Likewise, Han Solo."

 

They looked at each other for a moment. _He is rather handsome_ she thought to herself. He had hazels eyes and…

 

She looked away. "I've got to get back to my ship."

 

He nodded, still looking at her. "Where is it?"

 

"It's…" she started and stopped. "It's on the other side of the city," she groaned.

 

"I'll walk you."

 

She put her hand on her blaster, eyeing him suspiciously. She didn't know Han Solo, and while he did just help her out, she would be damned to throw all her scruples away over a handsome face.

 

"Hey, listen," he said, hands out in mock surrender. "This place ain't safe for someone like you to be walkin' around at night by herself."

 

"Oh? And what does ‘someone like me’ I look like, then?"

 

His raised his eyebrows slightly. "Like an off-world easy target, that's what."

 

She studied his face. He _did_ have a point. "Alright. Thanks."

 

They walked down the street, Leia crossing her arms under her cloak, Han sticking his hands in his pockets.

 

"So, why were ya messin' with Dryyard?"

 

"I wasn't messing with him. I…I thought he was someone else."

 

"Who?"

 

Leia sighed. "My brother."

 

Han's eyebrows shot up. "You thought _he_ was your brother?"

 

"I don't know. I've never met my brother before."

 

"Really?"

 

"No. Never met him, never seen him. I don't even know his last name."

 

"Why? I mean, how?"

 

"We were orphaned and adopted by different families. My father only just told me I had a brother."

 

"Well, that must have been a shocker."

 

"You can say that again. I couldn't even be angry at hiding him from me because he was on his deathbed." She didn't know why she was telling him all this. She hadn't said any of this out loud to anyone. She had taken a leave of absence from her office since the Senate was out of session. She hadn't told anyone where she was going.

 

"Oh," he said, looking down. "Sorry."

 

"Thanks."

 

"Well, obviously Dryyard wasn't your brother."

 

She laughed. "No, thank the maker. All I know that he'd be my age and lives on Tatooine."

 

"Not much to go on."

 

"No, it isn't. I just hope he hasn't…I don't know _moved_ or something. I have another candidate…I guess I'll look for him tomorrow, but..."

 

"I'm sure you'll find him."

 

"Thanks," she said, smiling. "I seem to be thanking you a lot tonight."

 

"What can I say? I'm just that accommodating," he grinned. She laughed at him, looking at her boots. Suddenly, a group of rowdy men walked towards them, leering at her. Han moved closer, one hand moving to his blaster holster, the other moving towards her lower back, not quite touching her, but communicating a similar message. She grasped her blaster underneath her cloak, ready for anything.

 

When the men's voices faded he let his hands fall to his sides but didn't move away from her. She let her hands fall to her own side underneath her cloak. She could almost feel his hand on the other side of the blue fabric, like he could grab it if he wanted to. She wanted to pretend that he was courting her, something she never really properly had. But no, that was foolish. Extremely foolish and stupid and silly to even think about. But still… She glanced up at him to catch him doing the same to her. They both looked away.

 

"So…what are you doing here?" she asked curiously. "Do you live here?"

 

"No, I'm just on a job."

 

"What do you do?"

 

"Oh, ya know. A bit of this, a bit of that. Smuggling mostly."

 

"Where're you from?"

 

"Born on Corellia. Best place in the universe."

 

She smiled at the childlike pride he had in his homeworld. "And now?"

 

"Now," he said, opening his arms up, eyes glinting, "I live wherever my ship takes me."

 

"That sounds wonderful," she said wistfully. To flit from planet to planet. Doing whatever she wished. Not to have an entire people to represent, or a rebellion to take charge of.  _Not that I don't love my job_ she reminded herself. It would just be nice to be plain old Leia more often.

 

"Can't you do that?"

 

"No."

 

"Well, why not?"

 

"I have a lot of responsibilities," she said, disdainfully. "I'll have to return soon enough…hopefully after I find my brother."

 

"What do you do?"

 

"Oh, you know," she said evasively, smiling at him "A bit of this, a bit of that."

 

"And when ya find him? What will you do then?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Well, when ya find him, what are ya hoping to happen?"

 

"I… don't know. I haven't let myself think about it… I bet he still has family. So, it really depends on him…I mean, I would like to, you know, get to know him but I'm not sure what he'll want. It's different with me because I…" she trailed off, thinking of her father. "I don't have anyone else. It'd be nice if he'd want a relationship with me..." she stopped herself, embarrassed.

 

"If you did, ya know, have a family, would you still want a relationship with him?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Then I wouldn't be worried. I mean, he is your brother. That ought to count for something."

 

"I suppose so." She looked up, realizing they were approaching the spaceport. They both slowed and eventually stopped. She bit her bottom lip and played with the hem of her cloak. _No,_ she thought, _I don't want to go yet_. She was being silly again. This man seemed to make her think of the silliest things. She shook her head slightly, smiling at the absurdity of her own thoughts.

 

"Well," she said, looking up at him again "we're here."

 

He nodded. She held out her hand and he shook it again, slowly.

 

"Thanks for your help."

 

"Like I said, don't mention it."

 

Quickly, before her senses were able to kick in, she went on her tiptoes and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Take care of yourself," she said softly, lifting the hood of her cloak to her head.

 

"Yeah, you too," he murmured. She turned and began to walk away. "Leia?" he called. She turned to face him. "Good luck with your brother. I hope you find him."

 

She smiled at him softly. "Thank you. I hope so too." And with a small wave, she entered the spaceport, grinning to herself.

 

Kissing him on the cheek was hardly audacious, but it was bold for Princess Leia Organa. However, it seemed to fit Leia Skywalker just fine.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess Leia and Han can make an okay impression when they aren't being boxed in by Stormtroopers. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and for every one who has left kudos, comments, bookmarked, or subscribed! Feel free to say hey on tumblr at babesbooksandbattles


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia learns a bit about Tatooine Culture from a Tatooine native.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just an FYI: for the purpose of this story, most people on Tatooine or of Tatooine descent don't change their names when they marry. Enjoy the chapter!

 

There was no spaceport in Anchorhead. On her flight over the barren desert, Leia noticed small homesteads popping up and increasing in number as she approached the town. She landed her ship outside Anchorhead, nerves jumbling up in her stomach.

The Luke Dryyard situation had failed abysmally. Not only was he not her brother, but she was nearly attacked in the process. If Han hadn't shown up…

 _Nope,_ she thought sternly  _I won't think about what could have happened_ or _of Han._

She hoped against hope that Luke Skywalker wasn't going to turn out to be another dead end. She didn't know what she'd do if he was. Go back to Mos Eisley and continue looking? Go to Bestine and look there? She doubted either option would turn out much.

Anchorhead was much smaller than Mos Eisley. It was also cleaner. Despite this rather significant advantage, there were no archives building.

 _Maybe I can get access to the school archives… I might be able to find an address there_  she thought, distracted, only coming out of her reverie when she collided with another body.

"Ouf."

"Ow." The person she bumped into dropped all his tools.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry!" she said, embarrassed at the fact that she was so lost in thought. She crouched down to pick up the tools. _Easy target, indeed_.

"No," said the boy. He crouched down to and she glanced at him. He had to be around her age, with shaggy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "It's fine."

They both stood up. "Here," she said as she handed him the tools she collected. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Really," said the boy, chuckling slightly. "It's fine. You're an off-worlder?"

She raised an eyebrow. "How can you tell?"

"You speech, for one." he said, then raised his hand, showing her the back of it "and your skin for another."

She glanced at her own hand. She wasn't overly fair, but fair enough to make her stand out against the tan of his skin. She always felt self-conscience on Alderaan when compared to her parent's deep olive toned skin.

"Third, I’ve never seen you before, and Anchorhead doesn’t get a lot of visitors. So, what brings you to Tatooine?" he asked amicably.

"Well, I'm actually looking for my-"

"Hey, Wormie!" interrupted a voice. The boy winced and turned to see a group of people pointing and laughing. A beautiful girl was hanging off the boy who called out to him. 'Wormie' gave a halfhearted wave. "You done chatting up that girl? Are ya coming?" called one of the boys from the group.

The boy turned pink. "I'll catch up with you."

The group wolf whistled but kept walking. The boy flattened his hair on his head, uncomfortable. "Sorry about that. I wasn't trying to- I mean-"

"I know, uh,  _Wormie_?" she asked, wondering if that could really be his real name.

"My name's not Wormie," he said, embarrassed. "It's Luke."

She looked at him, taken aback, stomach dropping. She took a small involuntary step backward _. Surely not…_  "L-Luke? Luke what?"

He looked at her, confused by her reaction. "Luke Skywalker."

Her jaw dropped. After weeks of preparing and planning and searching, she simply  _walked into him?_  No, too easy. It was too easy. She stuck out her hand.

"My name's Leia, and I'm adopted," she declared, saying the first thing that popped into her mind.  _He must think I mad_  she thought. It was better than just sticking him with the bio-scanner. His face echoed her thoughts. He tentatively shook it back.

"You're adopted too, aren't you?" she blurted, unable to control herself.

His brows furrowed, utterly bewildered. "Ye- how did you know that?"

"It's…well it's a long story."

"I'm listening."

"Well…I… _Youmightbemybrother_."

"What?"

"You…you might be my brother."

His mouth fell open. She winced. "W- _what_? A-are you  _kidding_  me? Did Fixer put you up to this?"

"No! I promise-I…Listen, it's a long story. Can we go somewhere, please?"

  

* * *

 

Luke and Leia sat across from each other in a small cantina, looking at each other but saying nothing. Being the middle of the afternoon, the cantina was relatively empty. Luke cleared his throat.

"So," he started, looking just as awkward as Leia felt and extremely perplexed "why do you think that we might…that I might be your-"

"My adoptive mother passed away when I was a child," she said, starting at the beginning "and recently my adoptive father passed away too."

"I'm sorry," he interjected.

She gave him a strained smile. "Thanks. He never spoke of my parents, telling me it was dangerous. And while I fought him on it, ultimately I trusted him and his judgment so I always let it go. Anyway, before my father died he told me that my biological parents were extremely important people. He gave me this," she said lifting a worn piece of leather from her neck, a small pendant hanging from it. She handed it to Luke. He thumbed over the carvings. "He said my birth father made it for my birth mother," she said softly.

"It's japor," he said. Leia tilted her head, confused. "The wood. It's japor, from Tatooine. I think the symbols mean good luck."

Her eyes widened. "I-I didn't know what it was," she said, slightly astonished. Could her parents be from Tatooine? "My father said if the Emperor found who my parents were, I would be in danger. If I ever wanted to know I needed to learn to guard my mind against any threat."

"But how would the empire find out what is in your mind?" he asked, giving her back the necklace.

"Darth Vader," she said darkly, "is said to have the powers the Jedi of the Old Republic had. He is rumored to be able to break into an unprotected mind and steal information."

Luke nodded, remembering the black hulking figure from the holo reports, but still confused.

"My father told me to find an old Jedi army general by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He would be able to help me protect my mind. Well, my mind and my twin brother's." She looked into her lap. "We were separated because it was too unsafe to keep us together. All I know that his name is Luke and lives on Tatooine. Or at least that's where he was brought after we were born." She looked up at him.

Luke stared at Leia. Could this girl, this girl who he literally  _bumped_ into, be his sister? They didn't even look alike.  _But no, that's not right._  They were both lean. She had long fingers like he did, and something…there was  _something_  about her face. Or was there? Was he just seeing what he wanted to see? A connection to the parents he always dreamed about.

"How…how can we find out for sure?" he asked tentatively.

Leia took in a deep breath and began rummaging in her satchel. She took a rectangular device. "This bio-scanner takes a small sample of blood. It can measure all sorts of biological levels, as well as DNA combinations. Mine is already in its database." She bit her lip, looking at him. "Luke can I have your hand, please?"

He leaned forward in his seat and stretched out his arm. Leia put the device to his hand and he felt a small pinch on his finger. She pulled it back and stared at the small screen. Her eyes widen. She passed him the machine.

**MATCH**

"We're a complete match," she said, out of breath, as if she just ran the eighty kilometers between Mos Eisley and Anchorhead. Luke stared at the machine open-mouthed and then back at her.

Leia sunk into the back of her chair. "I can't believe this."

"You!  _I_  can't believe this! At least you've had time to process this. I mean, I didn't even think this was possible!"

She pressed her lips together, staring at him warily.  _Moment of truth._  He opened his mouth four or five times before he was able to form any other words.

"I…this is incredible. I mean…" He rubbed his hand over his face as Leia held her breath. He shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "This is amazing."

She let out her breath. "You think so?" she said softly.

He nodded. "I always wanted a sibling. And…I never dreamed… well, no, I  _did_  dream about it but I never would have thought that I would…you know, actually get one. I mean, wow." He suddenly stood up, fishing in his pockets for a credit. "Come on. I live with my aunt and uncle. I want you to meet them…I wonder if they knew about you."

"Aunt and uncle?" Leia asked, standing up too. "How are they related to-?"

Luke looked at her, making the connection as well. "Uncle Owen was m- _our_  father's stepbrother."

Leia nodded, suddenly feeling very shy. She looked to her satchel, carefully putting the rectangular machine back into it.

"Leia?" asked Luke, and she looked at him. He looked hesitant but determined.

And suddenly, he was hugging. She was stiff with surprise. He was taller than her, but only by a few inches, and he was  _hugging_  her.  _Her_   _brother_  was hugging her. She relaxed and wrapped her arms around him, all too aware of the tears that were welling in her eyes.

"I found you. I can't believe I  _actually found you_."

  

* * *

 

 

Luke told Leia all about his aunt and uncle on the ride over to the homestead. She listened, growing nervous as the ride progressed.

"What's your last name?" asked Leia, suddenly, finding it absurd that she didn’t know her own brother's last name.

“Skywalker,” answered Luke, sensing his  _sister's (!)_  nerves. "I'm guessing you weren't able to keep it?"

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean? Didn't you take y-our aunt and uncle's last name?"

He shook his head. "No, Skywalker was our father's name. Uncle Owen is a Lars and Aunt Beru is a Whitesun."

“Why didn’t you take Lars, then? Or Whitesun? I mean, if it was so important that we were separated, why let you keep the name to connect you to our father?” she wondered.

“Names are important on Tatooine. Skywalker was a slave name. I am the first freeborn Skywalker in many generations. You name, well your family name is the foundation to your family story. The story’s that get passed down from generation to generation are supposed to honor the dead. Even if the master changes your name, slaves always remember. My aunt and uncle didn’t want to take that away from me. They’re my parents, they raised me, but Aunt Beru is a third generation freeborn Whitesun. I don’t even know how many generations Uncle Owen in freeborn. More than five. Skywalker is important. It’s my- _our_ heritage. It’s our story.”

“Slavery was illegal in the Old Republic.”

“It was,” he agreed. “But this is the Outer Rim. I swear, if there is a bright center of the universe, Tatooine is the farthest thing from it. The Hutts have always had the real power here. We are too far away from the core. We give no valuable resources, making us of little consequence to whichever government is in power.”

Leia nodded, distraught. _Freeborn_.

It wasn’t something she ever had thought about on a personal level. Yes, she railed against the Empire’s legalization of slavery. She knew it was outlawed in the Old Republic. It never occurred to her that it would still exist. That maybe the Republic wasn't as idyllic as she thought it was.

She always thought it was disinterest or self-interest that kept most Outer Rim citizens uninvolved in the Rebellion. She was embarrassed and ashamed. It was apathethy created out of survival. Why stick your neck out to restore a form of government that did just as much for you as the current one is?

She had been freeborn her whole life and never understood the significance of it. Not like Luke did.

He patted her knee, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Don’t – it’s okay. You didn’t know. You were freeborn, the way it’s supposed to be. The way everyone should be. I didn’t – don’t beat yourself up, okay? And now that you know, _I_ can tell you our family stories. I don’t know a lot of them, only what Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru remember my grandmother telling them about her family, but I can still tell you them, if you’d like.”

She smiled despite herself.

“I’d like that,” she said. She toyed with their mother's necklace.

Luke smiled, nodded, settling the subject for now. “So, what is your last name?”

“Organa."

Luke nodded again, wrinkles in his brow appearing. "Leia Organa…sounds vaguely familiar…"

"Well," she said slowly, studying her knees. "It might if you watch the holo news."

Her brother studied her profile. "Why?"

"Well, my father's death was well publicized…"

"Wait... Bail Organa was your  _father_?"

She nodded.

"Wasn't he a prince?"

She nodded again.

"And that would make you a-"

"Princess," she finished, daring to look up at him. Luke's face was torn between awe and shock.

"Well," he said after a few moments, in a teasing voice "Princess Leia Organa. Wow. Hey, does that make me a duke or something? Having a princess as a sister?"

She burst out laughing, tension bleeding from her shoulders. "Oh yes!" she said, still giggling. "Sure! Duke Luke! Secret brother to the Princess." The rhyme sent her into fresh peals and he joined her. "While…while I'm getting everything out there, I should let you know I'm also Senator from Alderaan."

"Yeah, I know."

"You seem very well informed," she commented, surprised at his knowledge.

He shrugged. "Well when your main goal in life is to get off the stupid rock, you tend to watch the holo a lot.” He sighed and then glanced at her.

“My uncle doesn't talk about my father. At all," he warned. "The only thing I know is that he was a pilot. Well, a spice freighter navigator. Stars, what I wouldn't give to be a pilot and travel the galaxy. I want to see it all. You're so lucky," he added with no accusation but wistful.

Leia looked at her lap, slightly guilty. "What about this Obi-Wan Kenobi?" she asked, changing the subject. "Ever heard of him?"

Luke thought about it for a moment. "No," he said slowly. "But there  _is_  a Ben Kenobi. He lives on the outskirts of the Jundland waste. A hermit."

"Maybe it's an alias?" Leia suggested.

"I don't know. We can go visit him tomorrow if you'd like. Just don't mention it to my uncle. He doesn't like him at all."

"Alright," she said as the speeder slowed and stopped. She stepped out of the speeder and eyed the little white homestead with trepidation.

"Come on," said Luke, walking towards his home.

"What if they don't want to meet me?" asked Leia suddenly, all her fears and insecurities bubbling to the surface. Luke stopped and turned around to look at her.

"Why wouldn't they want to meet you?" he asked, puzzled.

"There could be hundreds of reasons why! I just- I mean they don't even know me!  _You_  don't even know me! Why-" she broke off, breathing heavily. Luke took a few steps closer to her and grabbed her hand. She looked up at him.

"You're right. I don't know you. But I should've. You're my sister a-and just as much as a niece to my aunt and uncle as I am a nephew. It's going to be fine."

She nodded. "Sorry," she said quietly.

He smiled. "Don't worry about it." He gave her hand a quick squeeze and then released it, leading her into the Lars homestead.

Walking down the steps of his childhood home, Luke called out "Aunt Beru! Uncle Owen! Anybody around?"

"In the kitchen, Luke!" called a woman's voice.

Luke smiled over his shoulder to Leia as they entered the kitchen. A woman with a kind face, short brown hair, and slightly plump sat at the kitchen table. Her husband, skin brown and tan from being in the sun all day, was leaning against the counter. Both looked slightly startled at the sight of their nephew and guest.

"Uncle Owen, Aunt Beru, this is Leia and, well, it's a long story…"

  

* * *

 

 

Luke, with only a few soft interjections from Leia, explained to his family the discovery of his new relation. To say that they were shocked would be to say that Tatooine was balmy.

Beru passed the rectangular device to Owen, in awe. "This is unbelievable," she murmured, looking from Luke to Leia's face.

"So, I'm guessing you two had no idea I had a sister," said Luke, not entirely keeping the accusation out of his voice.

Owen studied the machine. "No, we had no idea." He looked between the twins, still trying to comprehend. They were all at loss of what to do next. Owen shook his head, not one for all that touchy-feely crap.

"You'll stay with us," he said gruffly, "long as you want. Luke, that filter is acting up again. Come on, we gotta fix it before dinner." He lumbered off. Luke shot her a smile and followed his uncle. A gesture Leia was slowly recognizing as a sign of reassurance from her brother.

Beru smiled. "My husband's not one for feelings. But we –we are both so happy you're here. Happy you found Luke." She stood up and went the counter and restarted the dinner she was putting together before Owen came home, followed shortly by Luke and Leia.

Leia stood up as well and timidly walked over to the counter. "Can I help?" she asked. Beru smiled. The only time Beru or Owen ever met Anakin he was with a woman. They claimed they weren't together, but she had to be the twin's mother.  _Stars_ , this young woman looked like her.

"Of course, dear. Here, chop these for me, will you? I hope you like stew."

"Stew sounds great," said Leia, smiling, beginning to chop. Beru glanced sideways at the girl. Dressed in white trousers, blue tunic, hair braided and twisted around her head, she was very pretty. Beru smiled again watching her large brown eyes focusing on her task at hand were set with the same determination that Luke showed while he worked. Her eyes fell to the necklace hanging around her neck.

"What a pretty necklace," commented Beru. "It looks like japor, no? Did you by it in at vendor in town?"

Leia paused, steeling herself. "No," she said slowly. "My father left it for me after he died. He wrote in a letter that my birth father made it for my birth mother."

Beru tensed, but said nothing.

"Were…were they from here? Tatooine?" she pressed, hoping not to push her luck.

"Your…your father was," said Beru quietly. "Your mother wasn't. I don't know for sure who your mother was …but if my suspicions are correct- which at this point I don't doubt they are, you look so much like her- your mother was from Naboo."

Leia's mind was racing.  _Naboo? I look like her?_  "What was her name?"

"Padmé."

"And…and my father's?"

Beru was silent a minute more. "Anakin. But please don't ask me anymore. It's dangerous and I don't know much else."

Leia nodded; stunned at the amount she got in the first place. "Thank you, Mrs. Whitesun."

"Oh, dear, call me Aunt Beru."

 

* * *

 

 

After dinner, Luke and Leia went and sat outside, backs against the white wall of the homestead, and talked. They were both eager to learn as much as they could about each other. It was decided that Leia would stay with the Lars while she was on Tatooine. Tomorrow Luke would drive Leia to her ship and she'd fly it to the Lars homestead. As the twins suns set their conversation came to a comfortable lull. Leia fingered her pendant.

"Your aunt-" she started then stopped, shutting her eyes for a moment. "Aunt Beru asked me about my necklace. I told her what my father told me and asked her if our parents were from here."

Luke's eyes widened. "What did she say?"

"She said our father, Anakin, was from Tatooine. She wasn't sure who our mother would've been, but she had an inclination because she said I looked like her…she was from Naboo. Her name was Padmé."

Luke was stunned. "I think that's the most I ever heard about them," he murmured. "They don't talk about them. They say it's-"

"Dangerous? Yes, she said that afterwards."

They were silent a moment more. One dreaming longingly, the other slightly guilty ridden, both thinking on the parents they never met.

"I must look like him, then," said Luke quietly. Leia turned to look at him. "If you look like our mother, then I must look like him. Anakin." He paused again, name bouncing around in his mind. "Anakin Skywalker. You know, I always knew his name, but never hers. Padmé. I had parents named Anakin and Padmé. " He looked at her. "And I have a sister named Leia."

She smiled at him. "Leia and Luke."

"No, Luke and Leia," he answered. She bumped his shoulder playfully. "Do you think they named us?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I think so," she answered back in the same tone. "I don't know why, but I do."

"I wonder what happened to them," he said. "I've always wondered. Haven’t you?"

"I…of course I did. But, I always felt guilty." He looked at her puzzled. "I had a wonderful father. I didn't want to hurt him by wondering about parents who I never knew. And whenever I did ask him he was always so on edge." She rested her forehead on her knees. "I feel bad now, finding out about them. I mean, they've been dead for eighteen years. He…he just died and I miss him terribly and…I just don't want to replace him by finding out who they were, you know?"

Luke contemplated what she had just said. "Well, Leia, I don't think you get a set amount of space in your heart. You can still miss and grieve and love your father, while doing the same for our parents. He did tell you to do this…"

"I know," she sighed, turning her head to look at him. "It's just a lot of processing... and a lot of new questions."

"You're telling me?" he grinned. She smiled at him. "Look, we'll go looking for Old Ben tomorrow. Maybe we'll find some answers."

"Yes. Tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there goes the Skywalker Twins! 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and for every one who has left kudos, comments, bookmarked, or subscribed! Feel free to say hey on tumblr at babesbooksandbattles.tumblr.
> 
> Up Next: Obi-Wan


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia and Luke learn the truth...from a certain point of view.

 

 

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat attempting to mediate in his small homestead. He knew the minute she landed on the planet. He hoped it was just a coincidence when she landed on the same land as her father's, but the Force told him otherwise. He felt the twin's presence blaring closer and closer to him. He sighed and stood up, finding no solace in his shoddy attempts at meditation.

He looked out the window of his home.  _Force, give me guidance._

 

* * *

  

"You know, I've been wondering," said Leia, looking at her brother from the passenger seat of her brother's speeder. "How did they meet?"

"Hmm?" said Luke, slightly distractedly.

"Our parents," she said. "If Anakin Skywalker was a spice freighter navigator from Tatooine, how did he meet Padmé? She was from Naboo. That's nowhere near here."

"Well, he was a spice freighter navigator. He must've traveled all over," said Luke. "Maybe he met her on Naboo. Or maybe they met somewhere else. We don't know anything about her."

"True," she said, not feeling altogether too confident with that explanation, not that she had a better one. She changed the subject. "Are we almost there?"

"I think so."

"You think so?"

"Well, it's not like he's got an address. I guess he's a hermit for a reason. I know he's somewhere in this general vicinity. Just look for a homestead or something."

"Could that be it?" she asked after a few moments. "Up on that ridge? To the right?"

Luke looked in the direction she was pointing in. Up and over a ridge a small brown roof peaked out from the sand. He smiled slightly. "Yeah, it might be."

 

* * *

  

Luke and Leia climbed up the ridge, Luke glancing between Leia and the small home. His hand shot out, grabbing on to Leia's elbow just as she was about to stumble. She shot him a grateful smile and he smiled back. It was odd, this budding relationship. He felt a strange sense of protectiveness, more than he should for someone he just met. It was like they were stuck in the middle of slightly awkwardly getting to know someone and something that felt worn and comfortable.

When they reached the door Luke let go of her elbow and knocked. A few moments later a man nearing sixty opened the door. He had a cracked and weathered face set with blue eyes and a scraggly white beard and hair. He smiled.

"Luke Skywalker. I must say you are the last person I'd expect to pay me a visit."

"Hello, Ben," said Luke with his usually amicable smile.

Obi-Wan stepped backwards, gesturing for the duo to come inside. The twins shared a glance before entering. Obi-Wan looked at Leia, remembering the last time he had seen her. He clumsily gave the small rosy bundle a quick kiss on the forehead before handing her over to Bail Organa. Now, a grown woman, she looked very much like Padmé and seemed to have similar aspirations (at least according to the holo net).

_Obi-Wan...there...is good in him. I know there is…still…_

He shook his head slightly, pushing thoughts of the past to the back of his mind. "So what brings you and your friend to the Jundland Waste?"

Luke and Leia shared another glance and she raised her eyebrows slightly and flicked her wrist as if to say 'go ahead'. And in that instance, Obi-Wan knew that they knew that they were siblings. He felt it. The question was how much else did they know?

"Right," said Luke. "Ben, this is Leia. She came here looking for someone and I thought you might be able to help. His name's Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan raised his brows, scratching his beard thoughtfully. "Obi-Wan Kenobi...Obi-Wan. Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time...a long time."

Leia perked up. "So you know him? Is he a relative of yours?"

Obi-Wan smirked slightly. "No, not a relative. He's me! I haven't gone by the name Obi-Wan since…oh, since I last held the two of you, I think."

The twins looked at each other, dumbfounded. "You-you know about us?" asked Luke.

Obi-Wan nodded.

"You're a Jedi?" asked Leia.

Obi-Wan nodded once again. "You seem extremely informed, young one."

She raised one brow slightly. "So do you."

Obi-Wan chuckled. How very much like her mother… "Indeed." Obi-Wan crossed to a small table and sat its bench. He gestured for the twins to take the bench opposite him. "How did you find out about me, Leia? I dare say it's not a name bandied about in the Empire."

The twins sat, Luke looking between his sister and the old man.

"My father recently passed away," she said. "Before he died, he told me to seek you out. He wanted me to strengthen my mind against the likes of Darth Vader. He also told me my biological parents were extremely important people. And that I had a brother living on the outer rim. So, here I am."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Interesting," he murmured. His mind was working a mile a minute. "I'm sorry to hear about your father, Leia. Bail was a good man."

"You knew him?"

"He and I were friendly acquaintances. I knew your biological parents much more intimately."

The twins were taken aback. "What?" asked Luke. "You knew our parents?"

"Yes," smiled Obi-Wan. "Very well. I trained your father."

"Trained him?" asked Leia.

"Yes. Anakin Skywalker was one of the finest Jedi Knights there was," he answered.

"Jedi Knight?" said Leia, utterly stunned.

"Yes. We fought in the Clone Wars together."

"No," said Luke, shock radiating off him. "Our father didn't fight in the Clone Wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter. He wasn't a…a Jedi."

"That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved."

The twins sat in silence, absorbing the information. Leia pressed her fingers to her forehead. She turned to her brother. "This is unbelievable."

"Why…why didn't anyone ever tell me?" he asked Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan studied the table for a moment before looking back at Luke. "It's not safe to be associated with the Jedi. It hasn't been for a long time," he said solemnly.

"What about our mother?" asked Leia, placing her hands in her lap. "Was she a Jedi too?"

"No," said Obi-Wan, smiling slightly "you mother wasn't a Jedi. She was a politician, much like yourself."

"Really? What was her name?"

"Padmé Amidala."

Leia's jaw dropped.

"Who was Padmé Amidala?" asked Luke, confused by Leia's reaction.

"She was queen of Naboo. She led Naboo through the Trade Federation Conflict. She untied the humans of Naboo and the Gungans. She became a senator and..." She looked at Obi-Wan. "She's…she's our mother?"

Obi-Wan nodded once again.

"Spirits," said Leia, lump forming in her throat. "I went to Naboo with my father on a diplomatic mission. They have a huge portrait of her in the Palace at Theed. We went to her grave to pay our respects. He said they were friends. I did a history report on her! I can't believe…"

Luke tossed an arm around his sister's shoulders in a causal way, knowing that she was struggling the same way he was. "How did they die?"

_It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground._

"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. When your mother heard of this she rushed off to find your father, but she was too late."  _You underestimate my power!_  "Vader had already betrayed and destroyed your father. You're mother thought she could help him, but he had lost all reason. They began to argue, and when Vader saw me he lost his mind. Vader tried to choke her to death, but failed. She went into a premature labor. Vader and I dueled and I…"  _Don't try it._ "I couldn't kill him. I rushed your mother to the nearest medical haven. You two were born, premature, but otherwise healthy. She passed away shortly after naming you. Now the Jedi are all but extinct."

"Darth…Darth Vader did this?" asked Leia, anger bubbling up inside her.

"Yes, but he wasn't always like the way he was now. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force."

"The Force?" asked Luke

"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together. There is the light side and there is the dark side. The dark side of the Force is what the Emperor and Vader use. They are Sith, the opposite of the Jedi. They use raw emotions like pain, anger, and hatred to fuel their power. You both must be very wary of these emotions, lest you tip towards the dark side."

"I don't understand. Why must  _we_  be careful?" asked Leia.

"You both have enormous potential in the Force," explained Obi-Wan.

She shook her head. "No. No, that's not possible."

"Your father…your father was an extremely powerful Jedi. He…"

_You were the Chosen One! It was said that you would, destroy the Sith, not join them! It was you who would bring balance to the Force, not leave it in Darkness._

"Just because he was very powerful, doesn't mean-"

"Haven't you ever known something without being told? Haven't your reflexes acted before the stimulus had occurred? Haven't you just  _known_  someone was untrustworthy or lying?"

The twins sat in silence, his words slowly making an impact on them. They opened their mouths to say something, looked each other, and closed them again. Leia, eyes wide, raised her brows and Luke nodded. She let out a breathy laugh.

"This is unbelievable," she said once again.

Obi-Wan stood up. "You have a lot to take in, young ones. Come back tomorrow and I'll show you how to protect your minds against intruders. But I'm warning you now, it'll take more than one lesson."

The twins stood up. Luke held out his hand. "Thank you, Ben."

Obi-Wan shook his hand. "Be careful. The Jundland wastes are not to be traveled lightly."

Leia shook his hand as well, shooting his a small smile. She was still unsure of what to make of this quirky old man. At the same time, she felt that he was trustworthy. Leaving the small home, she wondered if it was her latent Force powers leading her to trust Obi-Wan. She snorted.

Luke looked over at her. "What?"

She shook her head. "This is crazy, right? It's-"

"Unbelievable?" he said, smirking slightly. She bumped his shoulder.

"Well, it is! I would have never thought that this is what I would have found out when looking for you and him."

"I know, sis. I know," he said as they got into his speeder. "Let's get your ship and bring it back home, yeah? Uncle Owen is probably pitching a fit at this point, anyway."

She smiled, despite her whirling thoughts. She never thought the word 'sis' would bring her such joy. "Alright."

Obi-Wan watched as the twins drive away and thought of their potential power.

Leia was naturally more level-headed than Luke. He could tell she rarely gave into long-winded daydreams, choosing to do her duty rather than give into more fanciful whims. This automatically made her mind strong and guarded. However, this closed off manner shut out the small and subtle callings the Force made. She rarely reached out into it, labeling her small uses of it as intuition; claiming that her eyes were exceptional at reading faces rather than emotions. Consequently, her handling of the Force was severely lacking. It would take a great deal of unlearning for her to be able to use it properly.

Luke, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Luke had always been a dreamer. He had such a strong longing for the father he never knew. Maybe it was because grew up on the same land as Anakin. Maybe it was because he was so discontented with farming life. Whatever the reason, Luke's yearning for something else invited the Force, making him naturally in tune with it. His instincts were limber. Whether it was from afar or a small run in, he had witnessed Luke's subtle use of the Force on more than one occasion while observing the boy. Luke probably used it more than he realized, labeling it as adrenaline or naturally adept reflexes. However, his naivety made the walls of his mind weaker than a force user should be.

Nonetheless, the twin's strengths and weaknesses would work to their advantages for now. While Leia would have to back to the Senate, Luke would stay on Tatooine. After he strengthened Leia's mind, Obi-Wan would continue to train the boy. He hoped that if he could not train Leia in the future, Luke would. _This_ time he'd do it right. This time he wouldn't fail, as he failed so badly with Anakin.

_I hate you!_

_You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you._

* * *

 

 

Obi-Wan smiled proudly at the twins. "Very good," he said.

The three sat cross-legged on the floor of his home. Obi-Wan had spent the last half hour trying to penetrate each of their minds in turn. Leia had become all but impermeable. Luke had vastly improved as well.

"Let's take a break, shall we? My bones are too old to be sitting on the floor for so long," said Obi-Wan good-naturedly, standing up. Luke nodded, put his hands behind his head and stretched out on the floor, relaxing. Leia looked up at the Jedi master who had resituated himself on the bench.

"Ben, how did our parents meet each other?"

Obi-Wan looked at her. Sitting as she was, asking such an innocent question, she looked much younger than she was. Much,  _much_ , younger than she behaved. Obi-Wan had seen inside her mind, he knew the heavy responsibilities this young woman had taken upon herself. Luke turned his head, eager to hear Obi-Wan's response.

"Well, it all started with the Naboo blockade…"

 

* * *

  

 _Spirits,_ Leia thought to herself as she left the Senate chambers _could this get any more frustrating?_

She wanted to take her head into her hands and scream. The Senate was a complete joke; an utter failure and mockery of the democratic republic that thrived before her birth. She understood that the Republic had been less than perfect but it could not be as useless as the Senate was today. She rounded the hallway, hardly knowing where she was going, but not caring. She felt like crying from exasperation. She focused on her inner core, trying to use the exercises Ben taught her during her stay on Tatooine.

Tatooine.

How she missed her brother! It had been seven months since she had seen him last. She missed sitting in Ben's dinky hut, listening to stories upon stories, mostly about her father but a few about her mother. She wouldn't mind being able to go back to her apartment and see Luke's easy smile.  _It's not fair_  she said, reminding herself of a petulant child.  _It's not fair that we can never see each other._

She sighed loudly and looked around, realizing she was nearing the indoor conservatory. Every couple of steps large bay windows would appear, revealing the bright greenery of the garden. Between the windows were portraits of senators that greatly served the empire. It was no surprise that her fathers was not hanging up since he was under scrutiny for most of his career after the fall of the republic. But still, it irked her.

She looked from portrait to portrait, growing tired of the countless senators that looked more like military commanders than politicians. Each portrait had captured a hard, steely look; some in a sniveling manner and others menacing. She rolled her eyes as she neared the end of the hallway at one particular fellow with a rather large mustache, ruddy face, and no neck. She would have exited through the wooden doors that led out to the garden if a shade of purple from the last portrait hadn't caught her eye. She gasped, stomach falling to the floor as she neared the portrait. She didn't need to read the golden plate underneath it to know who it was.

**Senator Padmé Amidala.**

Her mother.

She almost felt lightheaded. She gazed at the portrait, dumbfounded.

Padmé Amidala was beautiful. She was dressed in a deep purple dress with bronze hair bands holding her thick glossy hair in an intricate updo. She had a small smile on her lips, yet managed to look dignified as ever.

Leia slowly reached out and touched the painted skirts of her mother's dress.  _I wished you lived_  she thought longingly.  _I wish I could have known you. I have so many questions for you._

"Princess," growled a deep mechanical baritone.

Leia jumped, momentarily gaping at the large black-clad figure in front of her. How did she not hear that infernal breathing coming down the hall?

"Lord Vader," she said surprised, quickly pulling her hand away. She broadcasted her astonishment and fear, hoping they would wash over and cover her longing for the woman in the portrait and anger at the monster in front of her. She couldn't let him sense her anger, lest it lead to the death of her biological father and to Luke. She couldn't let him find out about Luke.

She felt his anger at her being at the picture, which didn't help her extinguish her own rage. How dare he be angry? He's the one who killed  _her_  husband, choked  _her_ , almost killing  _her_  and her unborn children… _No, stop._  She thought, reeling in her anger once more.  _Luke. I can't get angry because of Luke._

He seemed to be waiting for an explanation.

"I was looking at the portraits," she said.

"You seem to be overly interested in this particular one," he boomed, moving closer to the portrait.

"Yes, well… I've always greatly admired Senator Amidala. I studied her in history when I was a child and-" she broke off, not wanting to babble herself into suspicion. "I've always admired her."

He said nothing.

"Have a nice day, Lord Vader," she said, deciding to make her exit now. Before she was able to push past the wooden doors, he spoke.

"Do not visit this portrait again, Princess."

She turned to him shocked, locking her anger away tightly. She chose her words carefully.

"I didn't know you had any authority over public viewings of art, Lord Vader. Does military commander also extend to hall monitor?"

He turned to her slowly. "Watch yourself, Princess. Your father isn't around anymore to intercede on your behalf. Heed my warning. Don't visit her portrait again."

She clenched her jaw as a lump grew in her throat. So that was that. Vader was once again taking away something that inherently belonged to her. First her father, then her mother, making it necessary for her to be removed and raised apart from her twin brother. Now she didn't even have the right to visit her mother's portrait, the only known picture of her apart from the one in Theed.

"As you wish, my Lord," she said, making her voice a cold as she could. She cast the portrait one last glance before pushing the doors. She made sure she was many meters away before she wiped her hand across her face.

But she didn't need to worry. The Dark Lord of the Sith paid her no attention. He was to entranced with the portrait of Senator Amidala.

* * *

 

 


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old hope and an unpleasant realization

 

 

Leia hid in the shadows as the sound of blasters rang closer. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She didn't know how she'd get out of this one.

After narrowly escaping the battle of Scarif and escaping with the stolen weapon plans, her flagship  _Tantive IV_ had been en route to Tatooine to pick up Ben and Luke. Luke had wanted to join the rebellion ever since she had told him about it, but due to his lack of training and his uncle's obvious wishes, he had stayed on Tatooine, helping his uncle on the farm and training with Ben ever other chance he got. After what Luke said was 'a lot of persuading' he had convinced Ben that he was ready. As of the last time she talked to him, Luke wasn't sure how he'd tell his aunt and uncle he was leaving.

She was really looking forward to this reconciliation. She hadn't seen her brother in almost a year. She was only able to talk to him every so often partly because he had to go all the way to Mos Eisley to get use a transmitter and partly because it would look suspicious on her part.

And now it looked as if it would never happen.

Vader had been so close to getting the plans before her ship had even taken off. She stood on the _Tantive IV_ bridge frozen, double and triple checking the walls of her mind as she felt him cut down rebel after rebel. She knew it would only be a matter of time before he chased them down. She knew what she had to do.

She heard small beeps coming closer. She peeked her head from behind the wall to see the small astromech droid rolling towards her. She crouched down as he wheeled to her side. She took out a disk and slid it into him.

"This is very important. I need you to get to Tatooine. Take an escape pod. You absolutely need to find either Ben Kenobi or Luke Skywalker.  _Only them_. Can you relay a message to them?"

The little droid beeped an affirmative and she stood up. Its recording device blinked on and putting on a brave face, she started to speak.

"Hello Luke, hello Ben. I was looking forward to seeing you both but I'm sorry to say we've hit a bit of trouble. My ship is under attack, so I'm afraid you might have to find alternative methods in joining the rebellion. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit. You need to bring it to them, please" she paused slightly, taking a steadying breath, she smiled. "I'm sure I'll see you soon. I love you, Luke." The blaster shots became louder. "Be careful," she said and crouched down to end the recording.

"Artoo! Artoo-Detoo, where are you?"

The little astromech's dome swivels to face a prissy protocol droid.

"Be swift," she said softly. The little droid beeped something and wheeled himself away.

"At last! Where have you been?" asked the droid as the two disappeared around the corner.

Leia sighed again, fading back into the shadows. She took her blaster from her holster, a steely determination in her eyes. They were coming for her, and when they found her she'd be ready for them.

  

* * *

 

 

Leia was being led down a winding hallway when she spotted Lord Vader and his horde of henchman. Clenching her jaw, she summoned strength she wasn't sure she possessed to keep her anger in check.

"Lord Vader, I should have known. Only  _you_  could be so bold. The Imperial Senate will not sit for this! When they hear you've attacked a diplomatic-"

"Don't play games with me, Your Highness," he boomed, towering over her. "You weren't on any mercy mission  _this_  time. You passed directly through a restricted system. Several transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the plans they sent you."

And she felt it. She felt his dark presence brush across the surface of her mind. She tightened her mental walls, fighting a smirk, taking a small thrill of lying right to Vader’s face. Even without the Force, he’d know she was lying. He showed up to Scarif during the eleventh hour, he knew she was there, but he wouldn’t get a glimpse of it from her mind.  _Not today, not me, you bastard._ "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan-"

"You're a part of the Rebel Alliance  _and a traitor,_ " he hissed, jabbing his finger at her in frustration. "Take her away!"

Shooting him one last poisonous look, Leia was roughly led away to her awaiting cell.

Vader watched her going, feeling a slight…shift, barely noticeable, in the Force. There was something about that Organa brat. His first commander turned to him when the princess was out of earshot.

"Holding her is dangerous. If word of this gets out, it could generate sympathy for the Rebellion in the Senate."

Vader rolled his eyes underneath his helmet. He knew the risks, but the benefits outweighed anything the Senate could ever do. "I have traced the Rebel spies to her. Now she is my only link to find their secret base."

"She'll die before she tells you anything," said the commander.

Vader smirked, growing excited at breaking the impertinent princess. "Leave that to me. Send a distress signal and then inform the senates that all aboard were killed!"

Another imperial officer approached Vader and his commander. They turned to look at him.

"Lord Vader, the battle station plans are not aboard this ship! And no transmissions were made. An escape pod was jettisoned during the fighting, but no life forms were aboard."

Vader turned to his commander.

"She must have hidden the plans in the escape pod. Send a detachment down to retrieve them. See to it personally, Commander. There'll be no one to stop us this time."

"Yes, sir."

 

* * *

  

"And now, Your Highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden Rebel base."

Leia looked up in defiance but felt her stomach drop as she saw the giant droid following him. The steady beeping of the machine shook her to her core, its silver hypodermic needle glinting in the light. Fear filling her whole body as the doors slid shut, she tried remembered what Ben had told her on how to keep her mind sound and private place. Trying to expel her fear, she grit her teeth.

Vader roughly grabbed her by the arm and pushed up her sleeve. The needle broke skin, injecting a clear green serum into her arm.

She began to scream.

Time passed. She did not know how long they had been at it. Minutes? Hours? Days?

Her whole body was on fire. She couldn't move, yet on some level, she knew her limbs were shaking. She felt her muscles tensing; spazzing uncontrollably.

"Where is the rebel base?"  _Tell me where the rebels are. You can tell me._

"N-no." She felt him pushing her barriers, felt his surprise and frustration.

"Who is in the rebellion?"  _Do you like this pain? Can you handle more? We can do this for the rest of your life._

"I…I don't know," she whimpered. She screamed again. It hurt so much…

 _But you do know,_  said his voice in her head. She felt him, like a dark fog trying to get through her walls, trying to push apart the smallest crack.  _Tell me where the rebels are and the pain will stop._

She turned her head to him. "G-go fu-ck yourself," she rasped, trying to bring her knees to her chest, but failing. The pain…

 _Tell me!_ He thundered, pushing harder than ever. She felt a small piece of her resolve crack. …Luke…

She let out a wild howl. With a gargantuan effort she pushed the Dark Lord out of her mind…

…Falling right into his.

The mind of the Lord Vader was a black and slippery place. There was no way to gain any type of control. Like a giant sea monster writhing at the depths of the ocean, his mind was cold, sleek, and dark.

_A very pregnant woman in a blue nightdress stood opposite of her. "What's bothering you?" the woman asked._

" _Nothing," she answered. But it wasn't her voice. It was a man's voice. A hand (was it hers? No it was far too big) reached out and touched the woman's pendant…Leia's pendant._

" _I remember when I gave this to you."_

" _Anakin, how lo-" but the woman was cut off. Leia felt as if she was falling. Hurtling backwards at tremendous speed…_

And she was back in the interrogation room. Darth Vader was standing over her. She looked at him, eyes wide, mouth agape in shock.

He struck her across the face.

"How did you know how to do that?" he seethed. She backed into the corner of the metal slab she sat on, entire body, aching.

"I-I don't know," she said mind reeling. She put her hand up to her stinging cheek, tasting blood in her mouth. "Who…who are you?" she said quietly, more to herself than to the Dark Lord. He stared her down then abruptly turned around and marched out of the detention cell, leaving her thoughts whirling with a reality she was unsure of and did not want to face.

  

* * *

 

Leia felt like vomiting.

Her home. Her beautiful, beautiful Alderaan. _Gone_.

She couldn't fathom it. Not only was she forced to watch the monstrous act, she literally  _felt_  the planet being blown apart. Like an ocean wave, she felt the life forms of Alderaan rise in horror, then dissipate into nothing.

Nothing. She had no home. Nearly every person she had ever known was dead. She suddenly became extremely thankful that Luke and she were raised separately, knowing that at this moment he feasibly could not have been on Alderaan.

_Oh, Alderaan._

She tried to push the devastating loss aside. Her mind was screaming in pain and anguish in the silence that once was Alderaan. As heart-wrenching as it was, she needed to know about that memory. With the monster himself leading her back to her cell and death, she had no better or other opportunity.

Leia knew what she must do. As the door to her cell slid open, he half dragged half led her back into it. He let go of her arm and turned to leave. Summoning courage she didn't feel, she called out to him.

"Who was that woman?" she asked boldly. The Dark Lord stopped and slowly turned around. "Was that woman…Padmé Amidala?"

The room's temperature dropped nearly ten degrees and as she held her breath. Vader stepped closer to her, blind rage radiating off of him.

"Do not speak of what you do not what you do not understand," he boomed, striking her once more. He turned again, determined to leave this insolent brat.

"Anakin Skywalker!" she called desperately,  _needing_  to know. As soon as she said those words, she instantly regretted them. In a flash, he turned and she couldn't breathe.

Leia clutched her throat and fell to her knees, desperate to loosen the invisible grip. Darth Vader was completely prepared to kill the girl on sight. She was already sanctioned to be executed, why not state his bloodlust for the troublesome, idealistic fool? She knew far too much.  _How did she know so much?_ Perhaps Organa had told his daughter of Vader's former life before the fool had died. Yes, it would be much easier to just kill her and be done with it. He would have, too, if not for her eyes. Her eyes were not the only thing that reminded him of the woman she inquired about.

The woman he loved.

Images of a fiery hell flashed before his eyes. An angel falling…

_No! Anakin, I swear…I…_

He released her and the girl took in shuddering gasps. She looked at him with a shocked expression, tears streaming down her face. Without a word, the Dark Lord turned and stormed out of the cell. Yes, the girl should be shocked. She would be dead if it wasn't for a lingering memory of his angel. His angel he destroyed.

But he did not understand.

Leia fell back against the wall of the cell, raising a shaking hand to her face. For within the rage Vader had released, he'd also let slip a silent confirmation.

He, the man, young Vader, (for that's who it had to be; It was his mind, his memory) said he gave it the woman the pendant. The pendent Leia owned now, her mother's pendant. The pendant her father gave to her mother when they first met. And the women in his memory, Padmé, _her mother_ , had called him Anakin. Vader responded, violently, to Anakin Skywalker. If her thoughts followed to conclusions that would mean…

 _No_  she thought  _there is no way. No, it can't be true. No, No, NO!_

She somehow made it back to the metal cot. She retrieved the pendant from under the fabric of her dress, holding it between her forefinger and thumb. Looking at the carvings, she knew her mind wasn't playing tricks on her.

"No," she choked out, clutching the wooden pendant to her chest, "he can't be…" She did not know what was real or fake anymore. She suffered the destruction of Alderaan and image of Anakin Skywalker in less than an hour. Luke would be crushed. Oh, Luke. No, it couldn't be real. It had to be a lie. Ben would have told them, wouldn't he? No, she must be crazy.

Dark thoughts swirled in her mind as she lay on the metal slab. Her cell door slid open, revealing a stormtrooper. Was this the trooper that was to bring her to her death? Or perhaps he was here to tell her the Emperor was her uncle or something.

"Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?" she commented with a bravado she did not feel, pushing herself onto her elbows.

"Oh, hardy har har," said a familiar voice as he pulled off the helmet.

"Luke," she choked out, stumbling forward and throwing her arms around her brother. He was  _real_. Her brother was  _real_.

"Hey sis."

"How-?"

"We got your message," he said hurriedly, looking around the room, eyes falling on the security camera. "Ben's with me," he said as he raised his blaster and shot it dead center "trying to disengage the tractor beam. We took passage with a smuggler on Tatooine." He winced as the sound of blaster bolts became more pronounced. "He's probably regretting it now. Come on, let's get outta here."

"Right behind you."

The twins ran down the hallway as a man in a stormtroopers uniform and a Wookie ran towards them, shooting at the imperials. The Wookie tossed Luke a blaster as his counterpart began to speak.

"Can't get out that wa-  _Leia? Leia Skywalker?"_

Leia gaped back at the man. "H-Han Solo?"

"You two know each other?" asked Luke confused. He pushed Leia away as a blaster bolt nearly hit her head.

"It- it’s a long story, seeing as how you’ve managed to cut off our only escape route," she said, shocked beyond belief. She doesn't think she could take any more shocks today. What was the universe playing at?

"Maybe you'd like it back in your cell,  _Your Highness,_ " said Solo, sarcasm marred by the evident shock coloring his voice. Luke began to holler on his comlink to Threepio, but with no avail. Stretching out his senses (even though Ben had warned him not too) he couldn't find any alternative route.

"I thought you said we were rescuing a princess?" asked Han.

"She is," answered Luke, distracted. "And there isn't any other way out," he announced gravely.

"This is  _some_  rescue. When you came in here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?"

Han gestured to her brother. "He's the brains, sweetheart."

Leia turned to Luke, but he spoke before she could scold him. "Hey! I hear my only sister is to be executed-"

" _Sister?_ "

"- and you expect me, what, to sit tight and-"

Leia cut him off by grabbing his blaster and shoot at the garbage shoot.

"What the  _hell_  do you think you're doing?" exclaimed Han, blast coming to close to his body for his liking.

"Somebody has to save our skins. Into the garbage chute, wise guys," she said, tossing the blaster back to her brother.  _Men,_  she thought as she leaped into the garbage shoot, bracing herself against what was promised to be an unpleasant landing.

  

* * *

 

 

A short while later, Luke and Leia rounded a corner that led them right back to the hanger in which the  _Millennium Falcon_ was held captive. Han and Chewbacca looked over their shoulders.

"What took you so long?" asked the captain.

"We ran into some old friends," said Leia, out of breath, looking around to the heavily guarded ship.

"Is the ship all right?" asked Luke, taking in the same scene as she was. There was no way that they could make it to the ship with all those troopers guarding it.

"Seems okay, if we can get to it. Just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission."

Luke handed Leia his blaster, and unclipped the lightsaber that was hanging off his belt. She looked at him questioningly.

"Is that-?"

"Yeah. Ben said he would have wanted me to have it," he explained, lowly, but prideful. Leia's stomach turned. "Look!" he said, pointing to the stormtroopers running towards the far side of the docking bay.

The four looked at each other.

"Here's our chance," whispered Han. "Go!"

Han and Chewbacca led the way, Luke and Leia hot on their heels, running towards the ship. Suddenly, Leia crashed abruptly into Luke's back, grasping his elbow to steady herself.

"Luke, wha-" but she stopped, looking at what her brother was staring at in horror. Ben was fighting Vader. Ben looked over his shoulder to see the twins. He looked back at Vader and raised his saber, not in a defensive pose, almost as if…

Vader swung his saber and Ben disappeared. Leia gasped.

"NO!" screamed Luke, igniting his lightsaber. The ice blue blade Ben had shown them some many months ago on Tatooine glowed brightly, deflecting the blaster bolts shot by the stormtroopers. Vader turned his head and his troops began firing.

"Luke, no!" cried Leia as her brother walked determinedly towards the hallway, deflecting shots as he went. Dodging blaster bolts and firing back, she could feel his anger. He was stronger,  _much_  stronger than he was when she last saw him.

"Kid! Come on! It's too late!" yelled Han, hanging off the ramp, firing at stormtroopers. Luke ignored him. "Blast the door Leia!" he shouted at her.

She took aim and shot three shots, causing the door to the hanger to close just as Vader approached it.

 _Luke, Leia, run!_  rang Ben's disembodied voice. Leia looked around, startled, but Luke grabbed her arm and half pulled her to the  _Falcon's_  ramp. The ship was taking off before the ramp fully closed.

Luke let go of her when they entered the ships hold area. Leia fell onto the bench as she watched Luke pace quickly back and forth, running his hands through his hair.

"That…that was… _shavit,_ " he cursed, sinking down next to her.

"Luke…I-"

"I know."

The twins looked resigned next to one another.

"You okay?" he asked, spotting her raw cheek.

She nodded. "Alderaan…" she started, not knowing what to say. He pulled her into a hug. She relaxed, exhausted.

"I know. I'm so sorry. We felt it in the Force and..." he stopped, reflected on his words. " _We_ …I can't believe he's gone. First Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru-"

"What?" she said sharply, pulling away from him and looking into his face. "What happened to Owen and Beru? They're not…" but she stopped, seeing his expression. "Oh Luke…"

He pulled her back in for another hug. “Leia, Alderaan, I–”

“Luke, we can’t do this right now,” she said sternly. “I cannot think about – there’s a war going on. We need to get the plans to the rebellion.”

Luke opened his mouth to protest when Han rushed into the room. "Sorry to interrupt this family reunion, but we're not out of this yet, kid."

Luke nodded. The twins stood up, Leia squeezed Luke's arm before he crossed to the gunport cockpit ladder and she into the cockpit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we've finally entered A New Hope! I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading! If you so desire, you can find me on tumblr at babesbooksandbattles :)


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia and Luke attempt to negotiate grief, Vader watches an interesting data chip, and Han can be emotionally mature when he wants to be.

 

 

The first time it happens, she is sitting at her desk in her bedroom on Yavin IV getting ready to present Luke, Han, and Chewbacca with a medal.

She’s trying to clasp her necklace while balancing a small mirror on her lap when her vision begins to blur and suddenly she’s in that dark place. Vader’s presence begins to choke her and she can’t _breathe_.

_Where’s the rebel base? Do you want the pain to stop? Where’s the rebel base?_

Her skin feels as if it was melting off her fingers, slowly passing her knuckles and traveling up her arms. She is back on the Death Star. If this man gets through her shields he will kill her brother and the rebellion and she doesn’t know if she is strong enough anymore but she can’t, she can’t, she won’t (she might), she will not –

_Who’s Luke? Tell me about Luke. You know you want to._

I won’t. I won’t say. You can ask, I’ll never tell you.

_If you don’t I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him slow. Who is he?_

My story. No, it’s my story. I won’t tell.

 _You’re safe, Leia,_ said a different voice. _You’re safe now, sister. Follow my voice. Come back to me._

She slowly began to feel a cool balm spread from her palms out to her fingertips and up her arms. She was sobbing, curled forward, fingernails digging into the arms that were holding her.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, Leia. You’re safe. You’re okay,” said Luke, holding her to his chest. She loosened her grip on his arm, gasping for air.

“Sorry,” she said, trying to regulate her breathing. She patted his arm and he let her go. That sat next to each other on the floor, next to the desk and chair she was sitting on.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he said, concern etched into his face. Leia inspected her fingernails.

“The medics said it might happen. It’s a side affect from the chemicals they pumped into me on the Death Star. It was a hallucinogenic. It should have been worse, so this isn’t so bad.”

“Has this happened before?”

“No.”

A beat passed between the twins.

“I was coming to see you before the ceremony. I – well, I _felt_ you before I found you,” Luke explained.

“Felt me?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I couldn’t pull you out of it until I went into your mind and – ”

“You _what_?” she said, alarmed. 

 _Like this,_ he said in her mind, grabbing her hand. She looked at him, bewildered, remembering the voice pulling her from her hallucination.

 _I’ve learned a lot since we last saw each other, sister mine,_ he thought to her

 _Can you read my mind?_ She asked, concentrating loudly, hoping this is how he was speaking with her.

Luke snorted, impressed. _Not your mind, Leia. You have the strongest walls I have ever encountered. But I can talk to you, and when you let me in, I can gage how you feel, just like you can gage my feelings over this connection._

“Wow,” Leia said out loud.

“I know,” he said, grinning slightly. She could feel it now, his concern for her, his grief. “You know you can talk to me, right?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” she said.

“Because you haven’t. About the Death Star, about what Vader did to you, about Aldera–”

“There hasn’t been any time, Luke!” she said, cutting him off, speaking rapidly. “Of course I know I can talk to you, but you barely destroyed the Death Star and after the ceremony we need to evacuate the base because –” but she stopped, noticing the spike in Luke’s grief and anxiety spike at her mentioning him destroying the Death Star.

“Luke, why –”

“I just want to help you, Leia! You need to grieve! You carry everything, for everyone, and I just want to help you.”  
  
“You destroyed the Death Star. That helped,” she said, noting the spike again. She paused, “Luke, do you regret what you did? With the Death Star.”

He was silent for a long moment. “I…it’s complicated.”

“ _How_?”

“Ho-? Leia, I killed over a million lifeforms. I ended the lives of some very bad beings, but also janitors and cooks and people just trying to make ends meat!” he said, gesturing wildly. “I know I had to do it. If I didn’t the Rebellion would have been finished. _You_ would have been dead. I know I had to do it, after Alderaan. But I…I still feel it. The adrenaline helped mask it, let me concentrate on the good. But… I still feel it. And it feels a little like how Alderaan felt….I think it makes me a mass murderer.”

He was out of breath and looking at his hands and Leia wanted to cry for him.

“I…I forgot that it was your first battle,” she said. “That it was your first…anything in war.” She scooted closer to him and hugged him. “You are not a mass murderer. You are a good man who had to take a lot of lives in order to save even more. They would not have stopped with Yavin IV. They would have committed genocide on any planet that stepped out of line.”

“I know that,” he said, face smashed up against her shoulder, shuddering. “I do. Logically I know that. If I had the chance I’d do the same thing. But it still…it’s something I need to work through, I think.”

Leia nodded. “You should have come to me sooner,” she said.

He snorted, looking up from her shoulder, incredulous. “That’s _rich_ coming from you! You are comforting _me_ after everything you lost. How can you chastise me when you literally have been running yourself so ragged that the chemicals that were pumped into you after _hours of torture_ have only just started to affect you, probably because of all the adrenaline you’ve been feeling.”

“The caf helps, too,” she joked.

Luke was unimpressed. Leia sighed.

“Listen, I understand where you are coming from. I really do. But, I’m supposed to presenting you an award in less than an hour and then we are moving bases. I don’t have time to… _reflect_ right now.”

“You need to make time. We need to make time,” he said sternly.

“Okay, we will. Let’s just get through the next few days and then we will make time. I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Luke muttered.

“I don’t doubt it,” said Leia.

The twins sighed, still on the floor. Unified, they picked themselves up from the floor.

“If you feel another…episode coming on, call for me the way we were talking before.”

“Okay,” she said.

“I mean it, Leia.”

“And I said _okay_ , Luke.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing a hand down his face. “I just don’t want you to go through that alone again. It was a…horrible place to find you in. You shouldn’t suffer alone.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling softly. She sat back at her desk, finishing up her makeup and fixing her hair.

“Why aren’t you wearing mother’s necklace?” asked Luke without accusation, leaning against Leia’s desk. It was a simple inquiry, too simple for the drop in Leia’s stomach.

“I…I didn’t feel like it. I just –” she trailed off, not knowing how to answer him. She couldn’t go there yet. Not with herself, not with Luke, not now. But the necklace felt tainted now, but she didn’t want it gone. It was her mother’s, despite… _everything_.

She opened the desk drawer and pulled out the worn cord with the japor snippet. “Why don’t you hold on to it for now? I’ve had it over a year. It’s your turn.”

“If…if you’re sure,” said Luke slowly, opening his palm. She dropped it and looked back in the mirror.

“I am. I’ll see you later? I just need to finish up and then see Mon quickly.”

“Okay, I’ll see you later.”

“You’re a good man, Luke. I couldn’t ask for a better brother.”

He smiled the same smile he smiled at her on Tatooine when they first met. ( _How could **he** be the son of -_ ) “Likewise, sister mine. I love you.”

“Love you, too,” she said, smiling despite the lump in her throat.

  

* * *

 

 

Darth Vader sank into his seat of his hyperbaric chamber. The last four days had been an absolute  _hell_. The princess had escaped his clutches, the death star had been blasted to bits, an ancient ship that he had earlier captured had hit him, and a Jedi _child_ had thwarted him.

He did, however, destroy his greatest enemy. Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead. The burnt and scared face smirked, taken a breath of purified air without his mask on. His smirk quickly turned into a frown. His master didn't seem to see the silver lining in this situation. After Vader's ship had spiraled out of control, he had almost been unable to regain control. He made his way to the closest imperial base for repairs on his own person and his ship. He immediately made contact with his master who had been less than pleased…and made that sentiment  _quite_ clear to Vader.

He was set to remedy these setbacks at once. While Vader thought the first Death Star was a pointless and overly destructive piece of technology, he had been told to commission the plans for a new one on the Emperors orders. He also had downloaded the original Death Star's surveillance while en route to the Rebel Alliance's base. He had brought the disk with him, wanting to see himself how that bothersome girl had escaped. With hindsight, he acknowledged that it was a fortunate decision, seeing how the Death Star was no more. It was just another example of how the Force guides and influences those who are open to it.

Vader watched the video, fast-forwarding past her initial jailing, and his torturing of her. She had displayed…. _immense_ resistance against his advances. She pushed so hard to expel him from her mind, she fell into his, seeing one of his most precious memories. She must be force sensitive. He  _did_  feel a small wave in the Force where the girl was concerned. A feeling similar but less significant when compared to Kenobi's apprentice.  _I should have killed her then_ … _saved myself the trouble. The boy will be next to die when I find the rebels_  he brooded, watching the girl; she was kneeling on the ground as he walked out of the room.

He straightened in his seat, pausing and rewinding the video suddenly. The girl had taken something from beneath the top of her dress. A necklace? Could this have been the key to her escape? He played the video at a normal pace, zooming in on the piece of wood she held between her fingers. He paused the video, stunned.

_No, it couldn't be. It is impossible._

How could the girl have his wife's pendant? The pendant he had made for her, long ago, lifetimes away. Unbidden and repressed memories washed over him as he looked from the girls face to the piece of japor. The princess…

 _Anakin had one arm wrapped around his love and his other rubbing little circles on her significantly pregnant stomach as they lounged on her couch at 500 Republica. Her head was rested on his chest, a small smile playing on her lips, her eyes shut. She sighed, content, and he smiled for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. He had only returned to Coruscant_   _the day before._

_He had found out that a living, breathing embodiment of the love he shared with Padmé grew inside her. An embodiment he would die protecting, along with her mother. He kissed the top of Padmé's head and she looked up at him, eyes sparkling._

" _So, I've been thinking about the baby..."_

_Anakin nodded, grinning widely. Just the word 'baby'._

"... _I really like the name Luke" she said. "What do you think?"_

" _Luke?"_

" _Yes."_

" _For a boy?"_

" _Obviously Ani," she laughed._

" _Luke is a fine name for a boy," he said. She smiled and raised her eyebrow._

" _But…" she trailed off teasingly, waiting for him to finish his sentence._

" _But, I think we are having a girl," he said._

_She sat up straighter and he shifted to accommodate her. "Do you now?"_

" _Yes, I do."_

_She tilted her head slightly, bringing one hand to play with the bottom of his hair. "What makes you say that?"_

" _Jedi instinct."_

_She smiled. "Love, while most of the time I put great stock in your Jedi instinct, I think my mother's intuition trumps it in this situation."_

" _Fine, father's intuition, then."_

_She laughed. "You can't change your reason like that!"_

" _You know, I can just check, it would be so e-"_

" _Don't you dare! I want it to be a surprise."_

" _Afraid you'll be wrong?" he asked, smirking slightly._

" _Not at all," she said. "I bet you…five credits that we will have a beautiful baby boy in a few months."_

" _Alright, deal?" he said, sticking out a hand for her to shake. She smiled, placed a hand on his cheek, and kissed him softly. After a few moments, she pulled back from him, smiling._

" _Deal."_

" _I hope that's not how you make deals in the Senate, my love."_

_She threw back her head and laughed. "No, Ani. That's just for you."_

" _Good," he said and she giggled again, settling against him once more. A comfortable silence fell upon the couple. "Padmé?" he asked._

_She looked up at him. "Yes?"_

" _I like the name Leia. For a girl, I mean."_

" _Leia?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Hmmm," she said thoughtfully. "Leia. Leia. It sounds quite lovely. What made you think of it? I mean, I've had nearly seven months but you've barely had a day."_

_He looked down at her. "Padmé, I have been in love with you since I was nine. I'm not ashamed to say I've thought of you having my children. And children need names, love."_

_She looked at him for a long moment before stretching up and kissing him again._

" _I love you."_

" _I love you, too," he said. He sat up and shifted to her stomach, kissing it lightly. "And I love you, whether you are Luke Skywalker or Leia Skywalker."_

…Leia.

He…he was at a lost. Could the child have survived? No! It was impossible. He killed his Angel and their unborn child. Still, he felt…something; a small push in the Force. Could it be…?

He turned to another screen and looked up all data the imperial system had on Princess Leia. He greedily read her file. It was common knowledge that the rebel princess was adopted. Suddenly this mundane piece of evidence seemed infinitely valuable to him.

Her life day was on Empire Day.

 _Empire Day_. Empire Day was the day his wife died. He looked at the girls face, studying it carefully. She looked very much like his Padmé, but was he only seeing what he wanted to see? Was he latching on to some hope that he didn't kill his love?

 _No,_  said a voice,  _you didn't kill her before due to her similarities._ If the child was his, there was no way he had killed Padmé. She would have to be removed in order to give birth, which means she must have lived. But who could have removed her?

 _Obi-Wan_  said the voice. His former master must have. He was the only other person...his master had  _lied_  to him for nearly twenty years. He…

Vader leaned back in his seat. _I have a daughter_  he thought to himself. He had a piece of his love still with him. No, not with him. She was taken away from him, kept hidden in plain sight. She had been raised as a natural adversary. He…

 _Oh, Force,_  he had tortured the girl. He had done his utmost to break her and kill her. He…he was enraged. Not only with himself, but with the people who were orchestrating this whole tragedy.

Obi-Wan.

His Master.

Bail Organa.

Organa had to know that Leia was his. He had been good friends with Padmé. He  _had_  to have known. Organa had always had gone to great lengths at keeping Leia out of Vader's sight and presence.

Leia…She must know, or at least have some sort of inkling on who her parents were. He remembered… _banishing_ her from ever seeing Padmé's portrait in the Senate. A small event in which he overlooked took on a whole new meaning. He thought Leia must know without a doubt of who her mother was.

He played the video, something inside him breaking a little more at seeing his daughter's reaction. She must have been facing something similar to what Vader himself was going through, except while he felt joy, she felt horror.  _Horror_  about who her father was. He was ashamed and disgusted with himself once more.

She was strong. He knew that before he found out she was his daughter. She must be extremely gifted in the Force to protect herself from the likes of him. He watched her with a fascination. She was his daughter.  _Daughter._

A stormtrooper walked into the cell and she sat up straighter.  _'Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?'_  she asked scathingly. He felt his mouth curve into a slight smile at her attitude but stopped.

' _Oh, hardy, har, har,'_ said the trooper, taking off his helmet, revealing not a soldier but a boy. It was the same boy that was on the landing platform and blew up the Death Star; Kenobi's apprentice _._  His daughter's eyes lit up.

' _Luke!'_  she exclaimed throwing her arms around the boy. Luke? Another coincidence…Surely not _._

' _Hey sis,'_  said the boy as Vader's jaw dropped.

' _How-'_

' _We got your message,'_ said Luke, looking at the surveillance camera and shooting it spot on. Vader snapped out of his stupor and rewound the video up until right before Luke shot it, giving him a straight on view of the boys face before the screen turned to static.

' _How'_  indeed. Luke.  _Luke_. Luke, the name Padmé picked out for a son. And he had called Leia  _'sis'_. Vader assumed it was short for sister. But that was impossible, wasn't it? Not only for Vader to have a child, but two? How did he miss it? Twins?

There were just too many coincidences. The boy, Luke, had brandished an ice blue lightsaber after Vader had killed Kenobi. Could the saber be his old one? Vader looked at the boy…and saw some aspects of himself, before he was injured. The tanned skin, the dark blonde hair, the blue eyes…

He must find out more about them.  _He must find them._

 

* * *

  

She always thought the phrase 'smoke coming out of one's ears' was ridicules. That is, until she had a fight with Han Solo.

Leia wasn't sure how, but a good eight out of ten times, Han Solo made her want to pull her hair out. Or his.  _Whatever_.

She had only come down to the hanger in order to discuss his supply run to Hoth. Following numerous raids on the Yavin IV base, the alliance had relocated to a base on Thila. They were in the process of relocating once more to the more secure Hoth system; Han, Luke, and Chewie were scheduled to make a supply run, dropping off materials and supplies for the rebels currently building the station.

Since she was one of the leaders of the Rebellion, she went to discuss his supply run with him; he was to leave in a week's time.

Somehow a perfectly innocent conversation turned into a heated argument. Because he was a jackass. Also, he was planning on leaving the Rebellion. For Good.

"You don't care about anything other than yourself, do you?" she asked, completely exasperated. Fighting with him was unlike fighting with anyone else. Her stomach twisted and her jaw clenched and she saw  _red_. She felt  _red_ , too, all over her face.

Han slammed his rag onto the floor, his temper getting the better of him.

"Oh yeah, excuse me for not  _giving a damn_  about the whole goddamn  _galaxy_  when there is a giant price on my head.”

“We all have prices on our head!” she exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “I have multiple bounty’s out for me as well as an imperial warrant for my arrest!”

“Well, alert the holo network! The Princess is worth more than the smuggler! Shocking!”

“That’s not the point!”

“No?”

“No! The point is that there is a greater good at work here!”

“It's amazing how your heart can bleed so much, shut up with all that ice," he spat, taking another step closer to her.

She wanted to  _hit_  him. She was furious.  _How dare he!_ As if he knew her heart! She opened her mouth, angry retort on the tip of her tongue when she heard a rattling next to her. She turned her head to see Han's tool box violently shaking beside them.

She gasped, taking a step back and the rattling stopped. She looked at Han, whose mouth was hanging open.

"I…" she said, taking another step back.

"Leia-" but she turned, walking briskly away from him, not daring to run and call attention to herself. She found a narrow passageway, inclined up. She climbed the winding ramp higher and higher until she reached a small cave. It looked out over other mountains and the forest that surrounded their base. A secret place; only she and her brother knew about it. He had dragged her up her a few times, to talk about Alderaan and Beru and Owen and other heartbreaking things.

Leia stood close to the edge, arms crossed, lips pushed together as tears fell down her face. She was terrified.

She was so angry with Han that she made his toolbox shake. She lost control and manipulated the Force in way…

 _Just like him_  she thought, terror climbing up her body.  _Just like he does. Oh, Spirits._

She was the ultimate genetic joke. She, who worked so hard against the empire, who wanted so badly to do  _good_ , was the daughter of a monster. How could it be possible? She wouldn't use the Force, no matter how strongly it ran in her deranged gene pool.

And Luke! Sweet, good, Luke! He looked up to their father so much. He  _idolized_  Anakin Skywalker. Her poor, earnest brother knew nothing of their true parentage. He had been patient with her these last few weeks, not understanding when she abruptly left every time he tried to tell her stories of heroics that Ben had told him of their father; attributing it to the trauma of Alderaan (not that Alderaan  _wasn't_ a factor to her bouts of melancholy).

And  _Ben_  was another matter entirely.

She looked out over Thila, but didn't not really seeing it. Dark, loathing thoughts bounced around in her mind. She heard footsteps ascending her hiding spot. She wiped her eyes hurriedly, knowing it was pointless. Her brother would sense her sadness.

"Princess," said Han. Leia stiffened, surprise. She didn't turn around as she tried to wrestle her emotions back into herself.

"Go away, Han."

"I…are you crying?"

"No," she said stubbornly, wiping her face again as she forced herself to stop.

"I…fuck, Leia, I didn't mean to make you cry."

She let out a sardonic chuckle. "Yes, because  _you_  would be thing to make me cry, Han. It's not like I have any other reason to be upset," she said, hopping he would leave like most did whenever a reference to Alderaan was made around her.

"Look, I ain't stupid. I know you've got other reasons, but…I didn't help…and I don't know. I mean…well, I guess I'm sorry."

Did he just apologize to her? She so desperately wanted to turn around and look at him. Nevertheless, a bigger part of her just wanted him to turn around and leave. She said nothing.

"You know," he said after a few moments, "I bet Luke could teach ya how to stop that shaking thi-"

"No! I…I don't want to learn anything about it. I don't want to be trained. I want nothing to do with it."

She heard him take a step closer to the edge. He was standing next to her. She closed her eyes. She could almost see him, hands in his pockets, sleeves rolled up, hair moving in the breeze. "Why?" he asked confused.

"It doesn't matter."

"Look, sweetheart, I don't put much weight in this whole 'Force' thing. I mean, more than I did before I met your brother, but I still think it's kinda hokey, ya know? But you…you and the kid got something most people don't. There is no denying that."

"I've seen the damage it can do. I don't want any part of it."

"Using your own logic, you can say that it was your duty to use it," he said, using one of her many reasons on why he should stay in the Rebellion against her.

She turned to face him. "Just drop it, okay?" she spat angrily.

He looked down at her face, taking it in. A long moment passed. "What are you hiding?" he asked suddenly.

"I- what? Nothing," she said, surprised, about to take a step back, but he grabbed her forearms.

"No, you are. What is it? What's going on with you?"

"Han-" she growled.

He let go of her, raising his hands in surrender. "You know what? Fine. Don't talk to me. Talk to Luke. Tell Luke. Cause whatever it is, it's cracking your precious façade, which means it must be eatin' you up inside. I asked him where'd you be. He told me you'd be up here. He's worried about you." _So am I,_ he added silently.

She took two steps back, back colliding with rock. "I…I can't talk to Luke about it," she said, shaking her head slightly, looking at the floor.

"Why not?" said Han, frustrated.

She looked up at him, crossed her arms, and felt as if she was going to cry again.  _Damn him._  "The tru…it would devastate him," she said quietly, looking off into the sky. The sun was setting.

"Does it have to do with him?" he asked. Her determined silence was enough of an answer. "You've gotta talk to him."

" _No_."

Han looked at her critically. "He would wanna know. Even if it's got nothing to do with him, he'd wanna know. And if it does have something to do with him, you gotta tell him. You owe it to him. You would want to know if it were reversed."

She sighed heavily. "I could have gone my whole life happy not knowing this."

"What if this thing came out," said Han slowly "and he found out you knew? Don't make that choice for him. Wouldn't you rather tell him, than him finding out through someone else?" Again, she said nothing. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, just think about it okay?"

She turned to look at him again. "Why do you care?" she asked.

Why  _did_ he care? If anything he should have left a long time ago. He shouldn't be here, talking to this Rebel Princess. He had no place here, _especially_ with her. What was he doing?

He looked down at her. "I…I just do."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia tells Luke the truth and the twins try and navigate the aftershocks.

 

"Hey."

Leia looked up. She sat on with the wall at her back, overlooking Thila in the place where she and Han had argued the day before. Luke stood at the top of the landing, soft smile on his lips. She summoned one in return, stomach sinking.

"Hi."

He plopped down next to her, in a way only Luke could do. In an instant like this she was reminded of the bright eye boy she ran into on Tatooine. Jedi training had matured her brother, but that boy was clearly present whenever he wasn't on duty. She sighed,  _How much more innocence will this take? How can I do this to him?_ She rested her head on her brother's shoulder, hating herself.  _Fucking Han._

"Leia."

"Hmm?"

"You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Mmhm."

"About anything. Even Alderaan…Is it Alderaan?"

"Yes…No. I-" She looked at him. He was so concerned. He had no clue. How could he? "Luke, this thing- this thing that's been," she gestured wildly in with her hands, trying to illustrate her inner turmoil, not finding the words. "It's horrible."

"You can tell me," he said, squeezing her hand slightly.

"No, it's...devastating."

"Hey," he said softly. "I'm your brother, you can trust me."

"Oh-oh Luke," she said, letting out a strangled sound that was caught between a chuckle and a sob. "I-I know…It's not that. I-I  _do_  trust you. There is no one I trust more than you. It's just…I wish  _I_  didn't know."

"Leia," he said quietly, looking earnestly at her. "Please."

"Okay," she said and paused. "I'm so sorry," she said quietly. She turned her body towards him, legs crossed and he mirrored her position. She was momentarily brought back to Ben's small cabin, as Ben taught them how to meditate. She took a deep breath.

"When I was on the Death Star, while they were trying to get information out of me, Vader was there," she said, glancing up at her brother before studying her knees again, not able to hold his gaze. She unconsciously rubbed where the needle had pierced her skin. Luke knew they tortured her. She suffered some small episodes of hallucinations shortly after her incarceration due to the strength of the hallucinogen pumped into her. "And he used…his mind to try and get the information."

"You resisted," Luke said, not for the first time  _amazed_  at his sister. She never really talked about the torture. He figured Vader had tried to invade her mind after helping her with the side effects of the torture drug. With very little training, his sister was so strong. It was unsurprising and humbling. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to hone her skills.

She nodded. "I used all Ben had taught me. I'm not sure how long Vader…persisted, but I began to crumble. He…he was pushing so hard and…I thought of you and he tried to grab onto that. I became… _incensed_  and pushed him out, and he must not have been expecting it because I pushed so hard I…I fell into his mind."

" _What_?" exclaimed Luke. "Vader-  _You_  were in Vader's mind?"

She nodded again.

"What did you see?"

She closed her eyes, a few tears slipping out from beneath her lids.

"There was a woman and...it was our mother."

" _What_? Are you sure?"

"Positive," she said. "She had on the japor pendant. Her japor pendant. She was in a nightgown and was very pregnant. She asked me- well she asked Vader- what was wrong and he said nothing. But then he reached out and touched the necklace and told her he…he remembered when he gave it to her."

"But-"

"I got pulled out of his mind shortly after that but before…she called him Anakin."

"Why would she call him that?" Luke said, confused.

Leia looked straight at him. "She was in her nightgown Luke- and he said  _he_  gave her the necklace."

His brows furrowed. "No, that's not right. Our father gave her the necklace. Ben said…"

"Luke, she called him  _Anakin._ "

"Maybe she was confused. Maybe  _you're_  confused."

"I thought that too. I went over his memory over and over again in my mind. After-" he voice cracked. "After Alderaan, I…I had to know. I thought I was going to die anyway, what was the point in not knowing, not asking. So I asked him- Vader- if the woman was Padmé Amidala. He slapped me and told me not to ask of what I didn't understand. He turned to leave and I grew desperate.  _I couldn't not know for sure._  So I called out to him. But I…I called him 'Anakin Skywalker'. A-and he…he became  _enraged_. He force choked me. I thought I was dead, but he let me go and left without a word. He…accidently sent out a silent confirmation to the Force and I… _I knew_."

"Leia, this-"

"He's our father, Luke."

A beat passed. "No," said Luke, jumping to his feet, white as a ghost. "No, you're wrong."

Leia stood up, crossing her arms protectively over her chest, letting tears fall silently. "Luke, I'm-"

But her brother was shaking his head. "You're wrong, Leia. There is no way that…It's  _impossible_! Ben said-"

"Luke!" she said, grabbing his arm, making him look at her. "I wouldn't tell you if I wasn't sure."

Still shaking his head, he closed his eyes. "You're wrong, Leia. You've-  _you've_  got to be wrong!"

"I wish I was wrong. I'm so sorry that I’m not," she said, voice cracking again.

"You're wrong," he said angrily, breaking away from her. He ran his hand through his hair, pacing like a trapped animal.

"Reach into the Force, Luke! It will confirm what you already know. You're stronger in it. You know it, you  _understand_  it."

He stopped, facing a wall, his back towards her. Leia's heart broke at the sight of him, his shoulders beginning to shake.  _He knows_. Suddenly, he slammed both fists against the rock wall. Leia jumped.

"Luke," she said softly, approaching him slowly. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Leia, I-" he choked out. She lost all composure. She threw her arms around her brother and he clung to her just as fiercely.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

A short while later the twins found themselves sitting once more against the wall, exhausted and cried out.

"What are we going to do?" asked Luke softly.

"What can we do? We are going to keep…going, keep fighting." She turned her head to look at him. "Look, biologically he might be…. _whatever_. We  _had_  good fathers. Bail was my father, Owen was yours.  _They_  are what is important. They started our stories. Not…him. It doesn't matter."

"I don't understand. I  _can't,_ " said Luke insistently. "Ben always spoke with such love for Anakin. I don't understand how Vader…" he broke off, not able to finish. He shook his head. "You know, it's really stupid, but when I was younger I used to dream that my father wasn't dead. I imagined that he'd come for me one day and we'd fly away on his ship. And now I find out…"

"It's not stupid," she said softly.

"I thought our father was a good, noble man. I wanted to be just like him. Make him proud."

"I know."

"Do you think he knows? About us?" Luke asked, half ashamed at himself. Why should it matter if he knew or not?

"I don't know. Maybe... Maybe he doesn't give a damn," she said with malice. She paused, thinking about it rationally. "But…I don't think he knows. He…didn't understand my connection with our mother. When I asked about her… there was no recognition. Just anger on my intruding. We were separated in order to be protected from the empire. And… _he's_  second in command of it. He must not know or else we would have been found."

Luke nodded. "Makes sense."

The twins were silent a while longer.

"We don't tell anyone," said Leia quietly.

Luke laughed bitterly. "I thought you said it doesn't matter."

"It shouldn't to us," Leia said with a resigned determination "but it will to them."

 

* * *

 

_Gotcha, you lousy bastard_  thought Han, working beneath the inner floor panels of his beloved  _Falcon_. Sticking his tongue between his teeth he reached for his hydrospanner, he fixed the loose bolt that was causing his wires to short circuit. Looking for any more potential problems, he heard the sound of footsteps far too light to be Chewie's. Hoisting himself halfway out of the maintenance hatch he spotted the Princess. Arms crossed over her chest, looking coolly impassive.

"Hey there, Your Worshipfulness" he said, placing his hydrospanner back in its box and lifting the rest of his body out of the floor. "What brings you 'round here?"

"I wanted to check your inventory for your run to Hoth tomorrow."

He stood, raising his brows easily, smirking. "Sure it wasn't cause you wanted to see me, Princess?"

Leia rolled her eyes, raising her chin slightly. "The inventory, Captain," she said, placing one hand on her hip, the other outstretched, waiting for the list.

He rolled his eyes, went to get her the list, and handed it to her. She turned from him, walking to where she knew the smuggling holds were. She crouched down and removed them, eyes going from the list to the hidden holds contents.

"You know," he said flippantly, leaning against the wall, "I  _can_  count. I did this when it was delivered."

"I know you can count," she said back bitingly, "though sometimes I wonder how high. This shipment is extremely important. We can't afford any mistakes."

"I think you just wanted to see me," he said easily.

He couldn't see her face, but he could imagine her rolling her eyes. "In your dreams, Captain."

"You always are, Princess," he said, smirking. He loved getting her all riled up. While most times their arguments would leave him in a sour mood, there was always an instance – maybe just a mere moment – of a thrill. Her cheeks pink, her eyes gleaming– albeit angry, but focused entirely on him. He couldn't help the small pang of disappointment when she hardly reacted.

Leia let out a sound mixed between a snort and a scoff and didn't turn around. She systematically checked under every hidden compartment and went into each other the holding rooms. After about twenty minutes, she approached him in the ships small galley as he stocked up the cabinets.

"Well, everything seems to be accounted for," she said evenly.

"I know," he answered. "I  _counted_  them."

She pursued her lips momentarily. "Yes, well, if I don't see you tomorrow morning, good luck, Captain."

"Yeah, thanks," he said. She didn't move. He smirked and leaned back against the counter. "Anything I can help you with, Your Worship?"

"I- yes," she said suddenly. He was taken aback. "I…I need you to look after Luke on this trip," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"Luke?" he said uncertainly. "Yeah, sure. I always watch out for the kid."

"This time's different," she said softly. "I'm afraid he might do something…rash. Something deliberately stupid."

"I don't geddit," said Han. "Sure, the kid has a hero complex, but he ain't dumb. A little naïve at times, sure, but-"

"I told him," she said, cutting him off. "I told him about the…thing we discussed the other night."

"Oh," said Han eloquently.

"I'm just…just look out for him, won't you?" she asked, finally looking up at him.

How could he say no to those eyes? Not when they looked at him like that. He nodded. She gave him one strong nod back and walked out of the  _Falcon_.

 

* * *

 

 

"You all right there, kid?" asked Han, looking over at Luke. They were less than two days away from Thila. So far their supply run had been a success. "Kid?" Han asked again. Luke was gazing absently at nothing.

"Hmm?" said Luke, breaking out of his reverie. "What did you say?"

"Don't worry about it," said Han, scowling slightly, getting up out of the pilot's seat. He walked to the galley, shaking his head. He began to take out ingredients for the night's meal. Frozen veggies and some meat would have to do. He had hoped that the Princess had been worrying for nothing.

While Luke hadn't done anything overly reckless or stupid, he had become something Han thought was far worse. He was listless and easily distracted. He was sullen and spent all time that he wasn't needed in his bunk, simply staring at the ceiling or sleeping. Not that he needed Luke to go beyond the call of duty. He would never admit this to anyone, even Chewie, but he sorta missed the kid's endless chatter. He sorta enjoyed discussing which fighter model was the best.  _He must be faking the sleeping bit_ , Han reflected, as he put meat into a pan with a satisfying sizzle,  _or else he wouldn't have such bags under his eyes…_

Chewie walked into the galley, sniffing.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm almost done," said Han. "Grab some plates." Chewie took some plates out and started loading up his dish. "Luke, Food."

Luke walked in. "I'm not really hungry, Han. I think I'm gunna head to bed." He turned to leave.

"Oh yeah, 'cause you done so much today," snapped Han.

Luke paused and turned slowly to Han. "If you don't think I'm pulling my weight-"

"Did I say that?" bristled Han.

"You implied it."

He looked at the kid. There was no fight in him. Whatever Leia had said…

_I can't talk to Luke about it._

_Why not?_

_The tru…it would devastate him._

"Look," he said patiently. "Your sister will  _skin me alive_  if you arrive back on Thila sick. And that's what’s gunna happen if you don't eat. So grab a plate and eat somthin'."

He walked out of the galley to the holochest table, placing his plate on that and walking to his cabinet, grabbing three glasses and a bottle of whiskey. When he reentered the room Chewie sat in the large chair and Luke was sitting quietly at the holochest table, eating. Han put the glasses on the table, filled one, and handed it to Chewie. Han began to fill another. He looked up at Luke.

"Want one?"

Luke looked at Han for a moment, almost surprised he asked him, and then nodded.

Han slowly drew Luke into conversation between him and Chewie. They talked of small, stupid things. Chewie had left the two, saying that at least one of them should be able to function without a massive hangover in the morning. Han and Luke exchanged stupid stories of times before the Rebel Alliance.

"-then all he just stared at me, opened the door, and let me go!"

"Really?" asked Luke, taking another gulp from his drink. He and Han had both lost count of how many they'd had.

"Yep. I couldn't believe it! I thought it was a trap. Musta jumped in and outta hyperspace  _seven_  times before Chewie convinced me that we weren't being followed."

"That's crazy," laughed Luke, shaking his head, downing his drink and pouring himself another.

Han leaned forward in his seat, grabbed the bottle, and poured himself another as well.

"Ye-p. That's me, Han Solo. Crazy and unbelievable."

Luke snorted. "That's not  _that_  crazy. And it isn't really unbelievable."

"Like you can judge," Han accused.

Luke brought his flask to his lips, raising his eyebrows, accepting the challenge. "I could fly Beggar's Canyon  _with my eyes closed."_

"I made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs," scoffed Han.

Luke rolled his eyes. "As a kid, I got caught in a sandstorm and lived."

"I jumped out of a building, fell fourteen stories and landed on speeder Chewie had commandeered."

"When I was ten I killed a krayt dragon."

"I graduated at the top of my class with the rank of lieutenant at the Imperial Academy."

Luke downed his glass and began to pour himself another as Han drank his. "My father is alive."

Han choked on his drink. " _W-What?_ " he coughed.

"Yep," said Luke, popping the 'p' while pouring himself more whiskey.

"Are-are you sure?"

Luke leaned back in his seat, nursing his glass. "Leia told me."

"Huh." Han remembered hearing reports about the famous 'Hero with No Fear' as a kid. "That's good news, innit? Your dad being alive. He's almost all you ever talk about."

 _But, no, that wasn't right_  Han realized. He hadn't said a work about his father since Leia talked to him. He hadn't said much to about anyone really…

Luke laughed bitterly. "You'd think so." He paused swirling the amber liquid around.

"Why isn't it? What's…what's wrong with him?" Han asked, confused.

"What's wrong with him," murmured Luke. "What's wrong-  _everything._  Everything about him is wrong. The biggest thing- though, at the moment, the one I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around- is that he's second in command to the empire."

Han stared at Luke. The kid was looking determinedly into his drink, jaw tight. "Wh-uh, I don't understand."

"Yes you do," said Luke, voice thick. "You'd just rather not."

"Darth…Darth Vader….he's your…?"

Luke nodded.

"But- Anakin Skywalker…he's isn't…?"

"One in the same, apparently," answered Luke, taking another gulp.

" _What!?_ "

"You know," said Luke, "Ben always said that my father was a good man. That he loved my father. He rarely talked of Vader, only saying that if Vader knew who we were, he'd want Leia and me dead. Vader destroyed my father. He always forgot that small detail that my father became Vader.  _He destroyed himself_. He…my mother…and Leia and I…" he snorted. " _A good man_. People talk about Anakin Skywalker and they say he was a hero. He was brave. He would be fighting  _with us_  now if he hadn't died. Imagine what they'd say if they knew their 'Hero with No Fear' was now.  _He was my hero!_   _Mine_ , before I even knew he was a Jedi. And now look at him."

He chugged the rest of his drink and stood up unsteadily. Han half rose with him, but stopped. Luke wiped his hand over his face hurriedly.

Han was at a loss. This was the Skywalker twins secret. This was what Leia and Luke had been struggling…Nine Hells, she must have been  _killing_  herself over it. Leia…Leia was  _tortured_  by Vader. Vader…he was her…

"And now," wobbled Luke, making his way clumsily towards the bunks. "Leia is gunna kill me. We agreed on telling no one. And I've gone and told you.  _You_. She'll be heartbroken because I told you. Especially you."

"Why 'especially me'?" he asked, completely overwhelmed.

Luke didn't turn around. "You know why."

Han stared blankly at the doorway Luke had disappeared through, processing all this information. He suddenly jumped up, and stumbled through the door.

"Luke, I-" but he stopped. The kid was lying on his stomach, legs hanging off the bunk, passed out.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Luke noticed was the utterly foul taste in his mouth. Unbearably dry, he tried to swallow only tasting paste-y sourness. He raised his head, making the second thing he noticed was the pounding in his head.

He groaned, rubbing his forehead against the scratchy blanket. Pushing himself out of his bunk, he wobbled in a very un-jedi like manner. Ben would…well at the moment Luke could give a blue mouse's ass on what Ben Kenobi would have thought. He rubbed his eyes as the events from the previous night trickled back to him.

_Everything about him is wrong. The biggest thing- though, at the moment, the one I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around- is that he's second in command to the empire._

" _Shavit_ ," he cursed. He was so stupid. Leia was going to kill him. Han…well, he didn't know what Han was going to do. Who knew what Han thought of them now. Luke eyed the door warily, wishing he could stay in the bunk until they reached the base. He probably would have tried if he wasn’t so thirsty. He opened the door slowly and quietly made his way to the kitchen, filling the biggest glass he could find with water, and drinking it without stopping. He was more than three quarters of the way finished when he heard a voice.

"Well, look who's back from the dead."

Luke choked and coughed, putting the glass down hurriedly and wiping the dribble of water down his chin. Han was leaning against the doorway, slightly bemused.

"Oh," said Luke, looking away from Han. "Yeah." He was embarrassed and scared. He had no idea where he stood with his friend now, or if he even  _was_  his friend anymore. Han studied the young Jedi.

"Hangover?"

Luke nodded, grimacing.

"Come on," he said, pushing away from the wall. "I'll get ya some meds."

"No," said Luke, still not looking at him. "Really, I'll be okay."

"Not if we run into some trouble. You gotta be alert," he answered. "Come one, kid."

Luke begrudgingly followed Han to the med cabinet. Han opened the cabinet and tossed Luke the bottle that held the painkiller tablets. Luke barely glanced up to catch the bottle, still staring determinedly at his feet.

"Thanks," he murmured. He turned to walk away.

"Hey, kid," Han said. "About last night-"

"Han, you – we don't have to –"

"Shut it, kid. I'm talkin'," he snapped. Luke turned and hesitantly looked at him. "I…look, it don't matter to me who your old man is. Hell, my parents – well, the only real family I got is Chewie. Who am I, right? You gotta make your own path in life. It don't matter who your blood is. Just, ya know, do what you want. Who he is don't mean anything. Not to me, anyway."

The kid stayed quiet for a minute, picking at his thumbnail. "Yeah?" he said quietly.

"Yeah," Han said gruffly.

"And you won't tell anyone? You swear?" he asked.

"Not a soul," Han answered seriously.

Luke let out a breath. "Thanks, Han."

"Don't mention it."

"Speaking of not mentioning it…can we  _not_  mention it to Leia?" asked Luke, looking down at the cap of the bottle and unscrewing it. "I…I don't think she could take anyone knowing. Not yet, at least."

Han was silent for a moment, thinking back on the previous night.  _And now Leia is gunna kill me. We agreed on telling no one. And I've gone and told you. You. She'll be heartbroken because I told you. Especially you._

Luke looked up. "Please?" he beseeched.

Han sighed. "Alright, kid. I won't say anything."

"Thanks," said Luke. He shook his head and popped the pills into his mouth.

They both walked back into the cockpit in silence. Han looked over at Luke, to notice the kid had a small smirk playing on his lips.

"What?" asked Han.

"Nothing."

" _What_?"

"No, it's just- you call me 'kid'."

"You're younger than me. Your point?" he said, wanting to be more upset. Han Solo didn't like getting laughed at or someone pointing out the obvious. He  _would_  have been more upset if it hadn't been the most emotion he'd seen Luke have in a while…well at least the most sober emotion.

"Well," said Luke, flopping into his seat. "Leia's my age."

"Yeah," said he said sarcastically, sitting in his pilot's chair. "That's generally the story with twins."

"It's just odd," said Luke, smirk turning into a grin. "You know, kinda makes you some sort of creep."

"What the  _hell_  is  _that_  supposed to mean?" asked Han, swinging his chair to face Luke.

"You're  _feelings_  for my  _sister,_ " said Luke. "If  _I'm_  a kid, than  _she's_  a kid, and that makes you some sort of pedi-"

"Hey!" said Han, loudly, over Chewie's rumbling laughter. "Let's get two things straight. Number one: I do not have  _feelings_  for your sister, other than the _feeling_ of _annoyance_. And number two: I call you kid 'cause you act like an idiot and I'm constantly saving your sorry ass. Now shut up. The both of ya," he growled, glaring at Chewie. "This is my ship. If you want to go act like morons, get out."

Luke leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. "Aye, aye, Captain."

_Why 'especially' me?_

_You know why._

"Whatever," said Han as he shook his head, swinging his chair forward again. _Stupid kid. "_ That's two secrets ya blabbed to me, _Junior_." 

 Luke laughed.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the trip went as smoothly as could be anticipated. Soon enough the _Falcon_  was making its descent to Thila. Luke felt Leia's happiness and worry shining out from inside the landing bay. He sighed, guilt washing over him. He had been selfish before leaving. He had every right to be upset, but Leia had been carrying the heavy weight of their parentage for a while now, by herself. He was ashamed of himself.

They pulled into the base with relative ease. Luke shot Han a small smile as the  _Falcon_  finally came to a shuddering stop. He jumped up and ambled to the exit. Han followed. As the ramp open, he spotted Leia standing a few yards away.

"Leia!" said Luke loudly, making a show of opening his arms wide.

Leia's eyebrows shot up surprised and laughed at his over-exaggerated manner and he wrapped her up in a hug.

"Trip go well?" she asked, bemused at his changed attitude.

"Yeah, it went fine," he said smiling at her giving her arm a soft squeeze.

"And you?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm…better," he allowed. "Open space was good for me." He caught sight of Han exiting the ramp. "I'm gunna go take a shower. A real one. With water. Force knows how much longer wet showers will be worth when we get to Hoth. Let's grab dinner in the mess tonight. Three-quarters of an hour? I'll see you then." And with a kiss on her cheek, he left.

Leia watched her brother walk away, slightly stunned.

"Hello, Your Worshipfullness," greeted Han. Leia nodded, eyes still following Luke's retreating back.

"He seems… _better_ ," said Leia, testing the word out uncertainly.

Han shrugged. "I guess."

"Did he do anything–" Leia started but stopped.

"He was fine. Surprisingly did nothing enormously stupid, which coming from your brother is a fuckin’ miracle."

"Did he…did he say what was  _bothering_  him?" she asked, looking at him for the first time.

 _She scared,_  Han realized. He could see it in her eyes. Her face was expressionless. Calm, even. But her eyes were terrified. "We had…words," Han allowed.

Her eyes widened slightly. "What did he say?" she asked sharply.

"Uh, not much. Just ya know…stuff," he said, not knowing why he was having a hard time lying. He lied for a living. And no matter what setbacks Han Solo had had over the last year or so, no one could ever say he wasn't damn good at his job.

"Like…?" she wheedled.

"I dunno, we just talked. He seemed to be more of himself after. I dunno. He's  _your_  brother," he accused.

"I know whose brother he's is, thanks," she very nearly huffed, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, I dunno what else you want me to say."

"Nothing. Thank you, Captain," she said using her formally cool tone she saved, it seemed, for him. It was this tone that usually led to their many fights.

"You're Welcome, Your Excellentness."

She turned to leave him but paused. "The High Council would like a copy of your ships logs for this trip, Captain. As soon as possible." She turned and began walking away.

"Hey, Princess!" called Han, fishing around in his pocket. Leia turned around again. "I live to serve," he said, tossing her the data chip containing his logs. She caught it with one hand, and rolled her eyes at him.

He did not miss the way she pursed her lips, fighting back a smile. He couldn't deny, at least to himself, that he hoped that was for him as well.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, Skywalkers love their angst and somehow always pull Han into it (lol who am I kidding Han Solo will always willing jump into Skywalker drama).
> 
> I also love that Leia and Luke both think that the other is stronger in the Force. They just admire and love and annoy each other so much. The next chapter will be a bit less serious, a bit more fun, with a small section of angst surrounded by Rebel Shenanigans. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and to everyone who's left a kudos, comment, and or bookmarked/subscribed!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of snapshots over the course of nearly two years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so, I have like one million different headcanons for star wars and this universe in particular. Some of them I struggle to put in into the fic half due to the cohesive nature of the story, and half for not wanting to seem gimmicky and cheap. 
> 
> So this chapter does a bit of both. It's a weird combination fluff and angst. No all aspects moving the plot forward, but I promise there are some nutritional bits in it!

 

Leia was going over a report on the feasibility of clothing the entirety of the Rebellion in below freezing gear for their soon to be headquarters on Hoth when she heard her brother knock on the door. 

“Come in, Luke,” she said without looking up, wanting to finish writing up her thoughts on the last paragraph she had read while it was still fresh in her mind.

She had heard twins being in tune with each other, but this was a whole new level. Luke was more than comfortable using their apparent Force connection to communicate. Leia for the more part tried not to think about it too much.

She looked up from her notes as Luke collapsed into the seat on the other side of her desk, data pad in hand.

“Hey,” she said. He looked worn out, like he hadn’t been sleeping very well.

“Can I finish some reports in here? I have a few that are about to be outstanding if I don’t fill them out in the next few hours and I can’t find a single quiet space,” he asked.

“Of course,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

“Just trying to do my duty, Princess,” he answered, bratty.

She raised her eyebrow, unimpressed, and stared him down. He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I’m…grumpy.”

“I can see that,” she said.

She opened a drawer and pulled out a tin mug, filling it with water from the pitcher Threepio had brought her earlier. She refilled her glass as well. She pushed the mug towards her brother.

“Thanks,” he said, grabbing the mug and taking a long sip. “It’s, uh, it’s Aunt Beru’s birthday today,” he said softly.

“Oh, Luke,” she said, matching his tone and reaching across the desk to squeeze his hand. “I’m sorry.”

He nodded, not meeting her eyes. She sighed, returning to her report. It wasn’t the first time he had taken refuge in her office. It wasn’t a sprawling space like her Senate office, but it suited her just fine. She had a map of the galaxy on the wall and a moderately comfortable couch and armchair. She also had a small fresher attached. 

An hour had passed with the twins working in silence on their respective reports. Her world dramatically shrank after her father died, and then almost entirely disappeared when Alderaan was destroyed. She revealed in the comfort of having her brother actually with her for the first time in their lives. Yes, he could be annoying, and dramatic, and insist he knew what was best for her, but there was no one in the universe that she was more comfortable with than she was with Luke.

 She looked up at him, and he was smiling at her. “You’re a comfort to me too,” he said.

“That’s really weird, you know,” she huffed.

“Oh, yeah,” he agreed, going back to his report. “But, to be fair, our lives, in general, are pretty weird.”

She hummed in response as someone knocked on her door. Luke sat up straighter, running a hand through his hair.

“Come in,” she said.

Wedge Antilles opened and shut her door quickly and quietly.

“Hello, Princess. Hi Luke. Can I, uh… _hang_ out in here?”

“Who are you hiding from?” Leia asked plainly.

“Wouldn’t you rather have plausible deniability?” Wedge hedged. Luke snorted, shaking his head.

Leia fought a smile, mirroring her brother’s movements. She initially resisted when Luke started dragging her around with his Rouges. It was one of those annoying habits he had, making sure she socialized with people other than the commanding officers that were closer to her father’s age then hers.

“Fine, but we are working. Entertain yourself, and do it quietly.”

“Quiet as a blue mouse, you won’t even know I’m here.”

She nodded, going back to her work. Another hour passed in relative silence, all three rebels focused on their individual data pads.

From a strategic location point, the Hoth was the Alliance’s best bet. It was there best bet because it was so isolated and _miserably cold_. No one would expect a base to be there, ergo it was a perfect place for a base. If anyone could make an inhabitable place habitable, it was the Rebel Alliance. It wouldn’t be easy, but they could do it. Construction was almost complete. She rubbed her temples, going over all the basic supplies a soldier would need to survive long-term habitation on Hoth for what had to be millionth time that day.

She reached for her glass, finding it empty. She reached for the pitcher, finding it empty as well. Luke, without looking up from his datapad, pushed his mug over to her.

“It’s fine,” she muttered, going over the numbers again. Would increasing the number of shared barracks make up for the cold temperatures? Or would it lower morale even more. Roommates were a typical occurrence for soldiers, especially for lower ranking members. Rebels already lived in each other’s pockets, seldom alone.

“Just take some of mine,” Luke said.

“I’ll refill the pitcher in a bit,” she said. It’s not like body heat would vastly improve the rooms unless you were sharing a bed, and it wasn’t like the Alliance would start pushing _that_. Rebels took that initiative enough on there own as it was. Not that she could blame them, mind you. There were worst ways to get warm, but she needed to think practically on a macro level.

"We shared a womb, we can share a cup,” snapped Luke, flicking the tin, making a distinct dinging noise. She rolled her eyes while reaching for the mug, still thinking about the Hoth housing situation when she looked up to see Wedge looking at them, jaw dropped.

“He was kidding,” she said, hand slowly moving away from the mug, as if not grabbing it disproves Luke’s last statement. Luke was frozen, as if he thought that if he didn’t move, he would just disappear. “ _Right_ , Luke?”

“Y-yeah,” he stuttered, crossing and uncrossing his legs. She guessed he was going for casual but he was massively fucking it up. _Oh, brother_. “Definitely kidding. I mean, obviously, it was a joke, Wedge. Suns, wouldn’t that be crazy!”

A beat passed. And then,

“Holy _shit_ ,” said Wedge, standing up and then sitting down again.

Leia started rubbing her temples. “This is why I want to take an antacid every time someone in high command suggests you do anything other than _fly and shoot_ for the rebellion.”

“Okay, I would not be that bad of a _spy_!” Luke said, indignant. Leia gestured to Wedge, who looked like a goldfish. Luke winced. “Okay, okay.”

“Listen, Wedge. You can’t tell anyone.”

“I…I mean, for how long?!”

The twins looked at each other, considering the question.

“Well, until we tell you, obviously,” said Leia. “It’s not really your place to tell people –”

“No,” Wedge said. “How long have you been –” he gestured between the two of them. “ _siblings_!” he whispered loudly.

“Our whole lives,” said Luke, lips twitching.

“But you’re a princess! And you’re a farmer!”

“Thank the suns for that,” muttered Luke. “She looks much better in white than I do.”

 _Oh, he’s just going to love the Hoth regulars_ Leia thought to herself. “You,” she pointed at her brother, “are no help. You,” she said pointing to Wedge, “need to relax.”

Wedge nodded, standing up and then sitting again.

“Listen,” said Luke, turning to face Wedge. “We were separated at birth. It was the safest option given who are parents were. We didn’t even know about each other until about two years ago.”

“That sounds like a bad holo,” muttered Wedge.

“Tell me about it,” said Luke.

“So if your father was a Jedi,” said Wedge, looking at Luke, and then to Leia, “that means _your_ father was –,”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Does that me you have –”

"It’s not a skill I’d like to develop,” she said, smile strained. “I have enough going on, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Yeah,” he responded, seeming making peace with the unintentional data dump he just received. “May…can I ask who else knows?”

“Mon Mothma, Han, and Chewie,” said Luke.

“Wow, okay. Small club,” said Wedge. “I won’t say anything, obviously. I swear.”

“Thanks,” said Luke and the twins smiled. Wedge smiled back, and then began to smirk.

“So I guess you guys aren’t sleeping together.”

“Oh, _gross_ ,” said Leia simultaneously as Luke whined, “Come on, man.”

Wedge laughed.

“You’re a child,” said Leia, collecting reports and reorganizing her desk.

“I’m just saying, a lot of people are going to lose a substantial amount of credits,” said Wedge. He paused, thoughtful. “Explains why Solo bet the way he did. He’s gunna make a killing, that son of a bitch.”

The twins looked at him, Leia growing angry, Luke thoughtful.

“Are you telling me,” started Leia, “that not only is there a bet on my sex life, and not only has a majority of those involved bet I was sleeping with my brother, but that Han Solo, one of five people in the galaxy who knows the truth, _placed a bet on whether or not I’d fuck my brother_?”

“Oh _Suns_ , Leia, stop! It’s even _worse_ when _you_ say it!”

“Okay, wow, you are right, that’s gross and I’m never joking about it again,” said Wedge, giving a shudder. “But the best bet to make is one you’d know you’d win.”

“What? Is that written in the doorway of every household on Corellia or something?” she snipped.

“No, it’s just common sense!”

“I’m going to murder him and then drink all his whiskey,” she said. “Why is everyone so invested in my sex life?”

“Okay, to be fair, one: all rebels love to gossip. About everyone, not just you,” said Luke. “And two: Han is probably at least _slightly_ invested in your sex life on a personal level.”

Wedge guffawed.

Leia narrowed her eyes. “You really want to have this conversation right now, Master Jedi?” she said, head tilting slightly towards Wedge, so only Luke would notice.

Luke’s eyes widened as he started to cough. Leia smirked.

“No-nope! Let's go find Han so you can kill him.”

“And drink his whiskey,” added Wedge, laughing again, either at Luke’s change of heart or Han’s imminent demise, she wasn’t sure.

“Lovely,” said Leia, locking her desk drawer and leading the two pilots out of the room.

“These arguments are a lot more amusing when you’re fully informed,” said Wedge.

“I bet,” said Leia, out for blood.

“Welcome to the club, pal,” said Luke, throwing an arm over Wedge’s shoulders. “Let’s watch Leia murder Han and drink his whiskey.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

* * *

 

Darth Vader loathed the bacta tank. Most of the time the Lord of the Sith was able to ward off sleep using meditations his master taught him. But his bad health made it necessary to be immersed in bacta numerous times a cycle. The drugs he had to take while immersed made it impossible to meditate, leaving him to sleep. And when he slept, he dreamt.

He was no better stopping nightmares as a Sith than he was as a Jedi.

“Don't you see?” he said, hardy and hale, on the cusp of loosing everything. The smoke of Mustafer swirled around him and Padmé. He couldn’t stop himself. Oh, how he wanted to just hold his beloved instead of argue with her. “We don't have to run away anymore! I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor. I can overthrow him, and together you and I can rule the galaxy. Make things the way we want them to be.”

His love, his angel, his Padmé looked at him as if she had never seen him before. _Run now, my love. Get back on your ship and save yourself._ “I don't believe what I'm hearing…Obi-Wan was right. You've changed.”  
  
“I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan,” he raged. “The Jedi turned against me. Don't _you_ turn against me.”

“I don't know you anymore,” she said, beginning to cry. “Anakin, you're breaking my heart! I'll never stop loving you, but you are going down a path I can't follow.”  
  
“Because of Obi-Wan?”

“Because of what you've done! _What you plan to do_. Stop, stop now. Come back! I love you.”

Vader kept looking her, fighting the urge to look up and see Obi-Wan. Still, he yelled “Liar!” 

Padmé turned around seeing what Vader refused to look up at. He just kept looking at Padmé trying to drink up the sight of her before he did the unthinkable.

“No!” she yelled.   
  
“You're with him,” Vader accused. “You've betrayed me! You brought him here to kill me!”

Instead of backing away from him, she stepped forward, grabbing his raising hand and holding it between her two palms, her fingers folding on either side.

“You’ve been very foolish, Anakin,” she said hoarsely, gazing up at him, disappointed.

“What?” he rasped, shocked. Her thumbs rubbed his hand absently. “This…this isn’t what happened.”

“No,” she agreed.

“I…I hurt you. They told me I killed you,” he said, staring at her, afraid to move, afraid to _blink_ , and have his dream evaporate.

“Not quite,” she said unsmiling, eyes kind and sad.

“Because…you had the baby,” he said, remembering his twisted reality as if it was the dark and distant dream.

“Babies,” she corrected him, a small smile appearing on her lips.

“Babies,” he echoed, awed.

“Listen to me, Anakin Skywalker,” Padmé said seriously. “You betrayed me in the worst way possible.”

“I know,” he babbled, “I know my love, I’m so sorry. I –”

“Hush,” she said, squeezing his hand between hers. “I don’t have much time. This is important. When the time comes you _need_ to listen to them. You need to make the right choice this time. You have what people rarely get. What _I_ desperately want.”

“Listen to who? What do I have?”

“ _Time_ ,” she emphasized. “A second chance. Fix this, Ani. You need to fix this.”

“Padmé, you named our babies,” he said, babbling again. “You still named her Leia, even after I-”

“ _Of course_ I did,” she said, tears falling down her cheeks. “They were our babies. Of course I did.”

“I love you, I miss you, I’m sorry. _Suns_ , I’m so sorry, my love.”

She hugged him. His breath hitched, clutching her to him.

“I know,” she sobbed. “That’s why you need to listen to them, Ani. _Listen_. And make the right choice.”

“I don’t know what that means!”

“You will,” she said. He felt her take a shuddering breath. “I love you. Now, be brave, and don't look back.”

 _Don't look back,_ repeated another voice.

_Mom?_

He blinked and was being raised out of his bacta tub.

 

* * *

 

 

“After the transport was loaded, Rouge Squadron was able to successfully navigate and cover the transport off planet and into hyperspace. We left hyperspace at 1700 Hoth local time, all members accounted for,” said Luke, looking up from his notes as he finished giving his debrief report the High Command of the Rebel Alliance. He had led a relatively short mission collecting medical supplies and rations from a not so distant Rebel sympathizing outpost.

“The intelligence was correct? No confrontation with the Empire?” asked Crix Madine.

“No, sir,” answered Luke. “Consider it an Empire Day gift. Troops that might have been stationed near the outpost were called back for the military parade and demonstrations.”

“It why we always send so many supply runs during this time of year,” said General Dodonna “It’s the safest time to send out large groups for provisions.”

“Yes, sir,” agreed Luke, glancing at his sister.

Leia was tapping a nail on the top of the table, face passive, but mood relieved and giddy. Luke smiled at her and she tilted her head.

Today they were twenty-two years old and it was the first lifeday that would actually celebrate together.

“Thank you, Commander Skywalker,” said Leia, “You’re free to go.” _This should only last a few more minutes. Wait for me?_ she thought to him.

 _You bet,_ he responded as he said. “Thank you.”

He walked out the door and down the hall. He sunk onto the floor waiting for his sister. The General wasn’t wrong. During the last three years he had been with the Rebellion Luke had always been sent out on mission a week or so around Empire Day, leading and guarding massive transport missions. The further the mission was away from the core, the larger the transport. Despite this stellar tactical move made by the Rebellion, it meant that Luke and Leia had yet to spend an actual lifeday together.

Until today.

Before Leia, Luke had these vague intentions to run away and just do something. Biggs was preparing to leave and in a fit of sentimentalized self-sacrifice and secret resentment Luke broke things off. He was dissatisfied with the future he saw for himself and he resented the passive anticipation of becoming a moisture farmer just like his Uncle. Before Leia, he imagined joining the rebellion as a romanticized dashing adventure from a holo or joining the academy, not for any love of the empire, but because it wasn’t a life on Tatooine. All of his ambitions amounted to a child’s excuse of just getting off of Tatooine.

And then Leia found him. Leia embodied every mindless clichéd daydream about who he wanted to be. She was a leader and a fighter and a real life hero, only instead of being stereotype some story he would imagine himself in, she was a real person who’s actually doing it. _And she was his sister!_

When they found Ben, her drive is what made him motivated to go head first into studying the Force. He still wanted to leave Tatooine, to have an adventure, but the more he got to know Leia, the more she told him about her life and the Rebellion, the more he realized he wasn’t ready.

She was risking life and limb for a cause she completely and utterly understood and absolutely believed in. It wasn’t something she ran away to do because she got sick of being a princess and a senator. Her focus, her intelligence, her grace, made him want to focus, become the best Jedi he could, to make her and their name ( ~~their father~~ ) proud.

The last few years, despite all their tragedies ( _Owen, Beru, Alderaan, Biggs, the Death Star, Anakin Skywalker to name a few_ ), had been some of the best of his life. Spending real time with Leia was like filling a part of himself he always knew was missing, but never knew how to articulate the loss. Getting to know her, annoy her, love her, in real time was a blessing he would never not be grateful for.

Seeing Leia in action was one of the most awe-inspiring things he could ever witness. Everyone looked up to her. The Rebels followed her and obeyed her because she has spent her entire life earning it. Leia was honestly the most capable person he had ever met. He was honored not only to serve under her, but also to be one of the few privy to her silliness and vulnerability.

And today he got to spend _their_ day together.

He heard the council door open, and hastily stood up, leaning in what Han promised was ‘cool’ way. Leia exited the council room, eyebrows raised and lips pursed.

“Were you being sappy out here?” she asked.

Luke smiled and shrugged. “Not overly so. Plus it’s my lifeday. I’m allowed to be a little sappy today.”

“What a coincidence,” said Leia. “It’s my lifeday today as well.”

“You don’t say!”

“What _are_ the odds!” she said dryly.

“Astronomical,” he said.

She snorted. “Did you have a plan for tonight?”

He shrugged, opening his mouth to respond but –

“Commander, Princess? Might I have a moment?” asked Mon Mothma.

“Yes, Ma’am,” the twins answered in unison. Mon Mothma smiled slightly.

“Would you please walk with me?” she asked, walking down the hall. The twins fell into step with her easily.

“Sometimes,” she said softly in the empty hall, “it amazes me that the whole world doesn’t know your secret.”

Luke smiled, glancing at his sister, who let out a small laugh. “It’s not a believable story,” she said in the same tone.

Mon bowed her head slightly, conceding the point.

“We haven’t had dinner in my office in quite some time. I was hoping that maybe next week we could? If you are both available and on planet?”

Leia glanced at Luke. The twins ( ~~re:Luke~~ ) had told Mon about their relationship while still based on Thila. To say she had been surprised would be an understatement. When Leia pressed her slightly, telling her who their mother was, Mon had held both their hands in hers, eyes glistening.

_(“We were friends, Padmé and I,” she said softly. “and colleagues.”_

_“Did you know her well?” Luke asked._

_“Pretty well.”_

_“Would you tell us about her?” he asked. Leia looked at her feet, then at Mon, uncharacteristically silent._

_“I’d love too.”)_

And so every so often the three of them would sit in Mons office and have dinner. Mon would tell them about their Mother. More often then not they’d have to reschedule, but Mon always made a point to reschedule.

“Yes, we should be free.”

“Wonderful!” said Mon, nearing the entrance of the mess hall. She paused before the door, smile growing wider. “Oh, and Luke, Leia? Happy Lifeday,” she said as she pushed open the swinging doors.

“SURPRISE!!”

Leia jumped slightly, gripping Luke’s forearm as his jaw dropped. Their friends were huddled together, clapping their hands and hollering.

The twins looked at Mon, but she just shook her head. “I’m just the messenger,” she said, patting their arms. “Enjoy,” she said, smiling with all her teeth, retreating as the rebels began to swarm their guests of honor.

Luke shook his head, grinning. Letting himself fall into the moment, feeling truly happy and lucky all at once.

 

* * *

 

 

Leia Organa, the last princess of Alderaan, former galactic senator, member of the Rebel Alliance High Command, sister to the last Jedi, daughter of Senators and Queens, could not stop laughing. She was more than a little drunk, and being spun as she danced with her friends.

This was the oldest she ever was but the youngest she’s felt in a long, long time.

How their friends were able to make a cake off Hoth rations she’d never know, but the cake was cut, the candles blown out, drinks were passed around, and now there was a full out party in the mess hall. Music was blaring from mismatched speakers, the long tables were pushed out of the way, and the Rebels were dancing on the makeshift dance floor.

Despite not having any technical talent or rhythm for dancing, Luke made up for it with boundless enthusiasm and a small bit of athletic grace. He had been the first one to dance with her, dramatically swinging her to-and-fro, dipping and spinning her right into Kes’s arms who later spun her into into Wes, who spun her into then into Shara, who then spun her to Tycho, who spun her to Hobbie.

Hobbie dipped her low, laughing with her, tilting his head to her right.

“Looks at those two crazy kids.”

She followed his gaze, landing on Luke and Wedge dancing together.

“I know!” she whooped as Hobbie pulled her out of the dip, swinging her side to side. “Force knows they deserve to be happy. It’s been a nice few months without all their _pining_. It was becoming ridicules!”

“Yeah, imagine that,” said Hobbie, smirking as he spun her out, right into Han’s chest. Han caught her grinning, and reached for her hand to spin her again.

“Wait, wait,” she said, giggling, vision still spinning despite standing still. “If I get spun again I might throw up.”

“Well, what do you want from me then?” he asked, one hand falling casually to her waist, the other lightly holding her hand, ready to spin her out again at any moment.

“Just hold me steady for a minute,” she said, laughing, still dizzy. She patted the hand he wasn’t holding against his chest, letting it rest there.

“Sure thing, Princess,” he said, falling into step with the music and other dancers. She followed his lead, her laughter tapering off as the room stopped whirling (whether from the spinning or the alcohol she wasn’t entirely sure, but honestly didn’t really care.)

She looks at this man and wonders how he could be simultaneously one of the hardest and easiest beings she has ever dealt with. Their arguments have surpassed legendary and have become commonplace. Just last week Luke wryly pointed out that the at this point the rebels have just adapted to them, walking around their arguments, desensitized.

“I’m actually impressed you aren’t picking a fight with me. Is this my lifeday present?”

“Hey! I got you a nice bottle of almost decent whiskey.”

“So another lifeday present,” she amended.

“For the record, you’re the one who picks the fights, not me. But, yeah, I’ve decided to be especially non-combative today, as a gift for you.”

“Really?” Leia said dryly.

“Yes, you are going to have to find another way to flirt with me, Your Worshipfullness,” said Han in mock resignation.

“So much for being non-combative,” she snorted.

“Just pointing out the facts, _Ma’am_ ,” he said, winking at her.

“Ha, I think if I was flirting with you, I’d know. There are better ways to flirt.”

“Princess, you like me so much, you don’t even mean to flirt. It’s okay, I understand, I have that effect on people,” he said cockily.

“Yeah, just sight of you makes me overcome with _lust_. I’m simply a flutter at your presence, Captain Solo. Take me now,” she said in a sotto voice, batting her eyelashes and then winking right back.

He stumbled, missing a step, stunned. She threw her head back and laughed again.

“Shut up.”

“You can’t tell me to shut up,” she said, eyes twinkling, knowing she had won this round.

“Cause you’re a high ranking Rebel Princess?”

“Cause it’s my lifeday. And you’ve said you’d be nice!”

“I said I’d be non-combative. Not nice.”

“Well, hold me steady Captain, I need another minute to not throw up and then I need another drink,” she said.

Han looked down at her, unable to keep a genuine smile off his face. “Hey, it’s your lifeday. You can take another two minutes if you want.”

 

* * *

 

Lord Vader was not such a fool that he did not know that the Emperor had spies. Many different branches spies. His most used weapons were his 'Hands'. Young girls plucked from their families from an early age who exhibited massive amounts of capability in the Force, but were never trained to what would be remotely close to their potential. None of them knew of each other and were stationed in his court as dancers, performers, and other positions, secretly doing their masters bidding, whether that entailed spying or enforcing his word. They were utterly devoted, all believing to be their master's one and only trusted Hand. Darth Vader was also not such a fool not to have his own legion of spies. While he played the dutiful servant to his master, his sent his spies to discover all that they could about the young pilot that blew up the Death Star.

_("Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper?"_

_"Oh, hardy har har."_

_"Luke!"_

_"Hey sis."_

_"How-?"_

_"We got your message.”)_

He had to be sure, he had to be positive about the identity of the pilot. And he had to be sure before his master was.

His spies found another pilot that had flown with the Rebels during the Battle of Yarvin. After the battle, the pilot had flown back to his homeworld. Vader, following the information of his spies, had hired bounty hunters to abduct the pilot and bring the man to him. The interrogation that followed was quick. The rebel pilot was no match for a Lord of the Sith. Mere minutes into prying through the man's memories, he revealed the young Jedi's name.

" _Sky-Skywalker."_

Vader knew the last name was no coincidence. He killed the man and the bounty hunters that relieved him to Vader soon after he reviled the young Jedi's last name.

His  _son's_  last name.

It confirmed his beliefs. It was stupid of Luke's kidnappers not to change the boy's last name, to leave him with the fool of a last name such as  _Skywalker_ , and think the boy would be concealed from his father (or anyone else knowing the name's significance). Killing the pilot and the bounty hunters that brought him to Vader would not stop the Emperor finding out about the boy's parentage.

 _If he didn't leave Tatooine_ , said a voice sounding eerily like Obi-Wan,  _you might never have known he even existed. You vowed never to go back to that sandy hell._

Well, that was true enough. But if the boy was anything like his parents, he would have wanted to get off that lawless rock for better things. The boy seemed to inherit Vader's exemplary piloting skills.

 _And anyway,_  said the voice,  _they put your daughter right under your nose for years, and you never knew._

Vader stood up from his seat in his privet office in his flagship the  _Executor_  angrily. He did not like to think about his obliviousness regarding Leia. While it was true enough he did not see the princess often if at all during her childhood, as she became more involved in galactic politics he saw her more often than not. She was not a quiet creature, taking after her mother. Much like the man who had stolen her, Leia expressed extremely anti empiric polices.

_But so did Padmé. She was never for an empire. She believed in a republic._

He banished the thought of Padmé from his mind, not letting his strange dream from almost a year ago take hold.

( _make the right choice, make the right choice, make the right choice_ )

Regardless, Luke and Leia would have been on the _right_ side of this pointless rebellion if he had raised them. As Vader walked to the  _Executor_  he brooded on how little he knew of his children. Yes, he knew the basics about Leia, but nothing more. She didn't seem to be trained in the Force, at least not extensively. Vader knew she harnessed great power and potential in the Force, but it didn't seem to be utilized. He knew even less about Luke.

Luke was obviously trained in the Force by Kenobi, he could be so much more. Vader – he could  _show_  Luke! Show him without harming him the way he was harmed in learning the dark side. He could show his children true power. The three of them, together, could rule the Empire, and bring peace to its citizens.

Vader stepped onto his bridge, feeling the soldiers working stiffen. He could feel their  _fear_ , letting it swell around him, giving him a heady rush. Yes, he'd find his children, explain to them what he knew, and then together, rid his master of this universe. As he moved across the bridge he saw Captain Piett conversing with Admiral Ozzel. Vader approached the screen, studying it.

"You found something?"

"Yes, my lord," answered Piett. Ozzel seemed less than pleased.

Vader closed his eyes, completely opening himself up to the Force.

"That's it," Vader said triumphantly. "The Rebels are there."

"My Lord," spluttered Ozzel, "there are so many uncharted settlements. It could be smugglers, it could be –"

"That is the system," Vader said with certainty, vaguely noting Ozzel's insubordination. "And I'm sure Skywalker is with them. Set your course for the Hoth system. General Veers, prepare your men!"

Vader turned and walked away. His plan was being set in motion. He would be united with his children. All would be right. They would make it so together.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so a chunk of Luke's internal sappy-ness was directly inspired by this tumblr meta here: 
> 
> babesbooksandbattles.tumblr.com/post/157063966093/the-princess-is-everything-luke-wants-to-be-she 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Have a nice weekend :)


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke learns a lot about the Jedi, the Force, his father, and humidity.

 

Luke Skywalker was straightening his bed sheets when he felt his sister approaching from the hallway.

"You know," he called out conversationally to his closed door. "We would've never been able to play hide and go seek."

His door slid open and he turned around smirking slightly to his twin sister shaking her head, bemused.

"You mean if we were raised together as children," she commented, leaning up against his wall as the door slid closed behind her.

"Well, we could try now if you want. Organize a huge game. It'd give you a real reason to seek out Han," he teased.

Leia narrowed her eyes, making a face at her brother. "Tch. You're out of your mind. He's leaving anyway. He told Rieekan."

Luke snorted. "Yeah, he's been 'leaving' for the past three years."

She rolled her eyes, wanting to get off the subject of Han. "I hear you had a narrow escape last night on patrol," she commented.

"Yeah," he said, pulling the top cover over his pillow and straightening the wrinkles out. "That wampa almost took me out. I'm glad I sensed him before I ended up like my tauntaun. Anyway it was good thing your boyfriend hadn't made it back to the base, though I don't recommend riding two to a tauntaun." He sat on his bed and smiled at her. She glared at him. 

"He's not my boyfriend, idiot."

"Ha!"

She studied his face, frowning. "What's wrong?" she asked sitting beside him. "And don't lie. Something is troubling you."

Luke let out a chuckle, grabbing a glass of water off his dresser and taking a sip. "See? We'd be horrible at hide and seek. No fun."

"Tell me," she pressed.

Luke sighed. "After my patrol last night, I meditated and I…I had a vision, I think."

Leia raised her eyebrows. "You think?"

"Well, I've never had a vision before!" said Luke defensively, tapping the glass with his forefinger. "Anyway, Obi-Wan…I don't know, came to me. He was transparent. Kind of like a ghost but not. It felt like he was sitting in front of me. Like you feel to me now, except, you know, it was Obi-Wan."

"What did he say?" asked Leia

"He told me," he paused, taking a sip, knowing how absurd she'd think it was.  _It was absurd._  "He told me I had to go to the Dagobah system. I needed to go there to be taught by Yoda, the Jedi Master who was –"

"Ben's teacher. Yes, I remember," finished Leia.

The twins looked at each other for a long moment.

"Luke – "

"Leia I  _have_  to go."

"That's crazy! You could have just been dreaming."

"I wasn't."

"Do you even  _know_  anything about Dagobah?"

"That's not the point!" insisted Luke. "I have to go. There is so much I have to learn. What am I supposed to do?"

"Stay here!" she said, standing up. "Stay here with me – with  _us_. Stay with the rebellion. Help us fix this. Then find this Yoda."

"To be able to fix this I need to  _find_  Yoda. There are no more Jedi, Leia. I need to learn."  _Especially if you won't_.

She crossed her arms, staring at the spot next to him. "So you're just going to leave."

Luke placed the glass back on the dresser and reached out to hold her hands in his. "Just for a little while. As soon as I'm done, I'll come right back and join the fight. It won't be long."

"But what if it is? What if it takes years?" she asked quietly.

"It won't. I won't let it," he promised. "I'll come back. And so will Han."

Leia glanced up sharply. "I don't care about  _him_. He could do whatever the hell he likes."

Luke rolled his eyes, squeezing her hands. "Hide and seek, Leia. Hide and seek."

Leia opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. She dropped her brother's hands to look over her shoulder as Luke's door slid open. Han and Chewbacca walked through.  _Great._

"How you doin', kid? Princess."

"What do you want?" asked Leia before Luke could respond.

"Well, I thought I'd visit my old friend Luke, ya know, since I'm grounded and all," he said, grinning wolfishly at Leia. "I'm guessing I have you to blame for that."

She rolled her eyes. "I had nothing to do with it. General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until we've activated the energy shield."

"That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight."

Luke sat back, utterly amused of the antics of his friend and sister. He shared a knowing look with Chewbacca. The other two were too involved in their own little bubble to even notice.

"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."

Luke just shook his head, smiling as Chewie began to laugh.

Han turned to his friend. "Laugh it up, fuzzball. But you didn't see us alone in the south passage" he said sidling up to Leia, and throwing an arm around her shoulders. "She expressed her true feelings for me."

Leia's jaw dropped, flushing slightly as Luke raised his eyebrows. She looked between her brother and the infuriating man who was pressing her against his side. "My...!" she spluttered, shoving him away violently. "Why, you stuck up... half-witted... scruffy-looking ...nerf-herder!

"Who's scruffy looking?" Han said, slightly miffed. He leaned closer to Leia "Don’t be embarrassed, Princess! I must have hit pretty close to the mark to get you all riled up like that, huh?"

She gaped at him.  _Him_. He stupidly smirked at her, like he  _knew_  – knew everything about her and – and  _everything_. She closed her mouth, narrowed her eyes, and without even really thinking about it, she grabbed the glass of water sitting on Luke’s dresser and poured it right on Han’s crotch.

“ _Fucking_ –”

“I’m not the one who’s going to be embarrassed,” she said smirking as he grabbed Luke’s blanket to try and blot his trousers. Without looking at any of the males in the room, she calmly walked out of the room.

Luke raised a hand to his mouth, trying to cover a smile. A guffaw slipped out. "Did-did she just…?"

Chewbacca was not even trying to hide his amusement. He had his head thrown back and was full on belly laughing.

Han turned to look at Chewie and Luke, utterly flabbergasted and slightly betrayed. Luke let out another chortle. "Don’t worry, Han, everyone has accidents. The life of a Rebel can be really scary and –"

"Your sister," spat Han, feeling fully betrayed now, "is a real piece of–"

"Headquarters personnel, report to command center. Headquarters personnel, report to command center," said a voice over the loudspeaker.

Han growled, turned on his heel, and stalked out of Luke's room. "Are you coming?" he barked out. Luke and Chewie exchanged another look and laughed, following Han.

 

* * *

  

Dagobah was more humid than Luke would ever have imagined. The humidity snuck under your skin the same way the Hoth chill settled into your bones. The overwhelming thickness of the air and the raw power of the Force had him make a sub par landing in the middle of a swamp.

 He sighed, trying to re-center himself despite his metaphysical vertigo. He pulled an equipment box from the shore to the clearing and ignited a little fusion furnace.

“Ready for some power?” he asked his faithful companion. He grabbed the power cable from the furnace and plugged it into Artoo's nose like socket. “Okay. Let's see now. Put that in there. There you go.”

The droid whistles his appreciation. Luke smiled, opening a container of rations, sitting across from Artoo.

He took a bite from his bar, rolling his shoulders back. “Now, all I need to do is find Master Yoda. Or wait for him to find me, I guess. Still... there's something familiar about this place. It’s strong in the Force, but not in the way I’m used to.”

“Observant you are, young Skywalker.”

Artoo lets out a long trilling beep in terror as Luke jumped, startled. He swivels around, graceless standing to face a bluish biped, not more than two feet tall. The wizened Jedi Master, dressed in rags and holding a size appropriate staff, looked at him bemusedly.

“Master Yoda?” said Luke, tilting his head down in greeting, trying to emulate Ben, but fearing he missed the mark.

“Feel the force, do you, hmm?” asked Yoda, hobbling towards him.

“Yes, Master.”

“What do you sense?”

“I…there is much life here, Master. Creatures and plant life I’ve never sensed before. But…there is also…I think darkness. In pockets and corners scatter throughout the planet.”

Yoda nodded, tapping his cane twice against Luke’s box of rations. “Come. Much we have to talk about, young Skywalker. But first, we eat. How you get so big, eating food of this kind? Hmmm?” He laughed and began to walk away. “Come, Come! Follow me, you will.”

“Where are we going?” said Luke, not disagreeing.

“Take you to my home, I am. Before the rain.”

Artoo beeped inquisitively.

“It’s okay, Artoo. Keep an eye on the camp,” said Luke, patting the droid. He followed Yoda down a seemingly unmark path that led to a little. A few fat droplets began to pour out of the sky just as Luke and Yoda cleared a grove of gnarled trees. A strange baroque mud house sat on a moss-covered hill on the edge of the small lagoon. The structure was perfectly sized for Yoda, radiating a warm glow from its thick glass windows.

“Come, come,” said Yoda, opening the door. “At home, make yourself. Almost done is my stew.”

Luke crawled through the door, gracelessly ending up sitting cross-legged in Yoda’s hut. Yoda puttered around in his adjoining little kitchen, cooking up what looked like to be an incredible meal. The stove was a steaming hodgepodge of pots and pans, the largest pot steaming without something that smelt wonderful. The wizened Jedi Master scurried about chopping this, shredding that, and showering everything with exotic herbs and spices.

Luke thought back to Ben, trying to reconcile Yoda’s reputation to the enthusiastic host that rushed back and forth, putting bowels on the table in front of Luke. _The greatest Jedi to ever live,_ said Ben with the nostalgic twinkle he would get when he’d talk about the more positive bits of his past. _He was my teacher, as well as the teacher of most Jedi for the last eight hundred years or so._

The Jedi in question scooped food from the pot into the bowel in front of Luke.

“Thank you,” murmured Luke, bending his head and taking a bite of the stew. It tasted better than he imagined.

Yoda hummed, sitting across from Luke, tucking into his own meal.

“Why wish you become Jedi? Hmm?”

Luke stared into his bowel, taking another bite without looking at his host. “That answer used to be a lot simpler,” he said.

“Why is that?”

“Well,” said Luke, trying keeping his emotions in check, “it used to be because of my father.”

“Learned the truth, you did,” said Yoda soberly.

Luke nodded. “Darth Vader…he’s my father.” 

Yoda sighed. “Unexpected this is, and unfortunate.”

“Unfortunate that he’s my father? Or that I know the truth?”

“Unfortunate that you found while incomplete was your training. That not ready for the burden were you. Obi-Wan would have told you long ago, had I let him…now a great burden you carry. Fear for you, I do. Fear for you, yes. And your sister.”

“I don’t understand,” said Luke.

“Raised with attachments you were. Natural enemies the Jedi and the Sith are. Much harder it will be for you to face Darth Vader, now that you know the truth when fully trained you will be.”

“You would have had me fight him without knowing the truth?”

“Destroyed the Sith must be. The Emperor and his apprentice this includes,” said Yoda.

Luke was taken aback. “You would have had me _kill_ him without knowing who he was?” Luke was stunned. “That’s horrible!”

“Difficult it would have been, yes but safer.”

“No, I’m not saying that it would or wouldn’t be hard, that’s _horrible_. That’s cruel! I would have unknowingly committed patricide.”

“Your father ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force,” said the disembodied voice of…

“Ben?!” exclaimed Luke, head whipping around to find the source of his deceased teacher's voice.

“When that happened, he betrayed everything and everyone that he had ever believed in. The good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I have told you was true... from a certain point of view.”

“A certain point of view?!” said Luke, becoming angry. “You led me to believe I was training to face my fathers killer! Not –” he broke off, taking a deep breath.

“You asked me why I want to become a Jedi? The Force is something I’ve been using since before I knew what it was. How could I not want to train in it? I have a responsibility to rise up and reach my potential if I have the ability to do so! Especially when there are almost no Jedi left! So, maybe it is still because of my Father. He is the reason the Jedi are all but extinct! But,” Luke said, pausing “I won’t be trained with the objective to kill my him. I’ll do what I have to, and if it comes to it – it’s not something I’m ready to think about. But what kind of person would I be if my goal were to take a life?”

“The greater good is the goal of the Jedi,” said Yoda stiffly.

“At what cost, Master?” said Luke quietly. 

“At any cost,” said Yoda. He looked up. “I cannot teach him. The boy is too attached. Much anger in him too, like his father.”

“Was I not eager and angry when you taught me?” said Ben’s voice again. Luke’s head whipped around, unseeing.

 “Hah. He is not ready,” muttered Yoda.

 “Master Yoda, will all due respect: what choice do you have? Ben didn’t take to training me lightly. You might not think I’m ready, but Master, let me prove it to you the way I proved it to him.”

“Ready, are you? What know you of ready? For eight hundred years have I trained Jedi. My own counsel will I keep on who is to be trained! A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. I watched, your sister leave Tatooine, and badgered old Obi-Wan into training. And before!” Yoda raised his arms, waving off Luke as he opened his mouth to defend himself. Seemingly now talking to Ben, he continued. “This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away...to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. Hmm? What he was doing. Hmph. Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things!” He turned to Luke, looking him dead in the face. “You are reckless!”

Luke bowed his head. “I’m working on it,” Luke muttered. He looked up. “Master, I understand your concerns, but I’ve tried so long on my own. I need a teacher. I left the only family I have so I could complete what Ben started.”

“Much anger in your sister, too,” said Yoda, subtle softening in his voice.

“I know,” said Luke matching his tone. “She’s working on it, too. But, in what way can I help her with her anger if I don’t know how to handle mine?”

Yoda turned his piercing gaze on Luke, as though the Jedi Master's huge eyes could somehow determine sincere Luke was. Luke tried to meet his gaze without flitching. After a long moment, the little Jedi turned toward where he alone could see Ben.

“Will he finished what he begins?”

“I mean to, Master,” said Luke.

Yoda turned to him. “Afraid are you, young Skywalker?”

“Yes,” said Luke, quietly.

“Honest, you are, hmmm?” Yoda said, sighing. "Last time it won’t be. Rest now, youngling. Anew we start, your training tomorrow.” 

 

* * *

 

 

When Luke was missing Leia after she left Tatooine to go back to the Senate, he would compose letters to her in his mind.

_Dear Leia, I honestly hate moisture farming. I can’t imagine doing this for another year but I don’t know how Uncle Owen will get on without me._

_Dear Leia, I’ve finally ~~bugged~~ persuaded Old Ben into teaching me more than just mind exercises. We start saber training tomorrow. I feel stronger in the Force than ever, like this is finally the path I’m meant to be on. _

_Dear Leia, I understand my restlessness a little better now that I know you. Was I missing you my whole life and not even realizing it?_

However, on Dagobah his letters to his sister sounded a bit more like _Dear Leia, I think a small green Jedi Master is going to kill me before our Father ever has the chance to try._  

“Again you are distracted today, youngling,” Yoda said from his back.

“Yes, Master,” Luke huffed, flipping over a rock.

“Thinking again of the cave, are you?” asked Yoda.

“No. Yes. Kind of,” Luke responded, jumping over a particular large gnarled root.

“Stop! Rest here, youngling, for a moment, hmmm?”

Luke skidded to a stop, breathing heavy. He lowered himself, helping Yoda off his back, and then sitting down on the damp ground.

“What troubles you, if not your failure?” he asked, sitting in front of Luke.

“I’ve been having…dreams, Master,” Luke said Luke said reluctantly.

“Hmmm. Bad dreams?” asked Yoda.

“Yes.”

“And in these dreams, what happens?”

“I’m somewhere I’ve never been before. A room grey room with low lights, hissing pipes and steam. There is an opening above me, and when I stop to look up the platform I’m standing on begins to move. I’m deposited in a room and walk up a stairway into a steam filled chamber. And in the room, through the steam, I see…Vader.”

“Hmmm,” said Yoda thoughtfully.

“We fight. It’s hard. He says something to me but I can’t really hear him and then he…he cuts off my hand. And then I wake up.”

“Vision this might be,” said Yoda.

“That’s what I thought. But it didn’t feel like when I had that vision when Ben told me to come find you. This felt…hazier. Not quiet real, but not like a normal dream or nightmare.”

“Learning from my mistakes, I must. Your father once spoke of dreams. Failed him, we did.”

“How?”

“Dreams he had of his mother, dying. Wrote them off as the will of the Force. Before your mother confronted him, told Obi-Wan your father dreamt of her death as well.”

“Oh,” said Luke, not knowing how to respond.

“Come to us, your father did not, when having those dreams,” Yoda said, melancholy. “Manipulated by Sidious, Obi-Wan believed your father to be with those dreams. Never left him, his guilt did.”

“I know,” said Luke. He thought of all the time he spent with Ben in his homestead; telling endearing tales of Anakin Skywalker, silent on all things Darth Vader. Sometimes, he’d get a lost look in his eyes, ending lessons early. Ben was so very patient with him, but sometimes so very sad.

(Ben, who has yet to materialize to Luke the way he seemingly, does to Yoda. Luke pushes the heartbreak away, not wanting it to linger.)

“Lose you, we must not, like we lost him,” Yoda said resolutely. “Come! Break over!”

Luke repressed a sigh, slinging Yoda back onto his back, and heading into the trees once more.

 

* * *

 

Weeks later Luke stands in the bright lights of the fighter and loads a heavy case into the belly of his ship. Artoo is sitting on top of the X-wing, settling down into his cubbyhole. Luke cannot only feel Yoda’s disapproval radiating off him but sees it clear as day on his face as he stands nearby on a log. 

“Luke! You must complete the training.”

“I can't keep the vision out of my head,” he said. “She’s my sister and he’s my best friend! I've got to help them.”

“You must not go!” insisted Yoda.

“But Han will die if I don't! Leia will rot in some cell.”

“You don't know that,” said Ben’s voice.

Luke’s head whipped around, for the first time finding the source of Ben’s voice. Ben stood, a slightly shimmering apparition near Yoda, the power of his presence made Luke’s breath catch in awe and eyes water.

Ben smiled sadly at him. “Even Yoda cannot see their fate.”

“But I can help them! I feel the Force!” 

“You’ve come a long way Luke and I am so proud of you, but you are not a master yet! This is a dangerous time for you, when you will be tempted by the dark side of the Force.”

“Yes, yes. To Obi-Wan you listen. The cave. Remember your failure at the cave! And your dream of Vader!”

“I know,” he said solemnly. “I haven’t forgotten and I've learned so much since then. Master Yoda, I promise to return and finish what I've begun. You have my word.”

“Then you know that this very much might be a trap! It is you and your abilities the Emperor wants,” said Ben, hands on his hips

“Probably. But their suffering is real and that is why I have to go.”

“Luke, I don't want to lose you to the Emperor the way I lost Vader.”

“You won't,” said Luke. “I’m not him.”

“Stopped they must be. On this all depends. Only a fully trained Jedi Knight with the Force as his ally will conquer Vader and his Emperor. If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become an agent of evil.

“ _Easy_? This isn’t easy. I’m walking into a trap where my biological father is probably going to try and kill me! The only thing that is easy about this is choosing to help Han and Leia. I won’t sacrifice them so I can remain safe.”

“Sacrifice themselves they would, so you can one day defeat the Sith. End the war. Honor them and their choices you must.” 

“No, that’s not fair,” said Luke, resolute.

“Definition of a sacrifice, that is.”

Luke exhaled a long breath through his nose.

“If you choose to face Vader, you will do it alone. I cannot interfere,” said Ben softly.

Luke nodded. “I understand.” He moved to his x-wing. “Artoo, fire up the converters.”

Artoo whistled a happy reply. 

“Luke!” Ben said, anxiety riddling his tone. “Don't give in to hate - that leads to the dark side.”

Luke nodded and climbed into his ship.

“Strong is Vader. Mind what you have learned. Save you it can!” warned Yoda.

“I will,” said Luke, fastening his helmet. “And I'll return. I promise.”

Artoo closed the cockpit. And Luke ran through his preflight checklist, anxiety high.

_Dear Leia, please stay safe. I’m coming as fast as I can._

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's my first Luke centric chapter! The AU version of Luke has him a bit more mature, a bit more ahead in his Jedi education, but still in need of training. Originally, the story went right to Leia and Vader meeting in Cloud City, but it kinda fell flat and then didn't do much for Luke's development. So Voila! I hope up you all enjoyed this chapter. 
> 
> (I feel like it's going to be one of those chapters where I read through it a thousand times and then find 46 typos tomorrow at a glance. So sorry in advance.)
> 
> Thanks for reading, and for every one who has left kudos, comments, bookmarked, and/or subscribed. However don't feel pressured to feed into my need for validation and/or love to chat about the chapter or Star Wars in general. If you are so inclined, say hey on tumblr at babesbooksandbattles.
> 
> Up Next: Vader chats with his each of his children and someone makes an unexpected offer.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heros have a few different conversations that bring up some pleasant and unpleasant truths. Vader receives an unexpected offer.

 

"We would be honored if you would join us."

Solo glared angrily at Calrissian, as Vader felt his daughters fear in the Force, one arm raised in futile defense.

 _His daughter._  A huge amount of pride swelled within him just by looking at her.  _Irrational and foolish._  He hastily smothered it, but not before Leia raised a quick eyebrow in confusion. She quickly returned her gaze between Solo and Calrissian, the former looking about ready to commit murder.

"I had no choice. They came just before you did. I'm sorry," Calrissian explained.

Solo and Leia exchanged a glance. Solo grabbed her hand and said, "I'm sorry, too."

The doors slid closed as the Princess, the Smuggler, the Wookie, and the Baron entered the dining hall. Six armed stormtroopers filled in from the same the servant's entrance Boba Fett used and surrounded the three rebels.

Vader studied his daughter. Her hair was pulled away from her face, braided into loops. Brown eyes, masked in as much cold indifference as she could muster, glared at him. She was dressed in typical Cloud City fashion and around her neck…

Vader raised his hand, and before Leia could realize, he summoned the japor snippet from her neck, easily breaking the worn cord. Leia grasped for it too late, eyes widening. He studied the wood.

_I made this for you. So you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet... It will bring you good fortune._

_It's beautiful, but I don't need this to remember you._

"N-no" she said, a knee jerk reaction. She took an involuntary step towards him, arm extended as if to snatch it back, but a stormtrooper raised his blaster to her in warning. Solo pulled her back to his side, and closer towards him, ready to jump in front of her if need be.

Vader narrowed his eyes at the action.  _Chaos be damned, that smug bastard is far too old to even think about touching her._

Leia flinched and bristled at his reaction, able to sense his feelings.  _He has no right,_  she thought angrily, understanding the reason behind his anger. He must not know how developed her senses were since he was casting them out as such. She realized he probably had not interacted with another force sensitive, other than the Emperor, in a long while. He'd made sure to that.

"Fett, take Solo and the Wookie in for  _questioning,_ " he ordered. The rebels stilled, none of them naïve enough not to know what 'questioning' entailed. "I wish to speak to the princess privately."

A trooper roughly broke Solo and Leia's hands apart, cuffing Solo's behind his back. Nevertheless, Solo stood resolutely. Leia brought her hands to his shoulders. Both leaned their foreheads close together in order to get some semblance of privacy.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "Th- he wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for me."

Han half smiled at her, worry sinking to the bottom of his stomach. "Sweetheart, this would have happened no matter what. I just don't-" he broke off, glaring to Vader.

She understood. "I don't think he'll hurt me. Not now, anyway," she said as quietly as she could. He nodded as a stormtrooper pulled at his arm. Hardly aware of making the decision, she hurriedly pressed her lips against his. She felt Vader's anger flare, but ignored him. It was neither expected nor welcomed.

She watched as her friends were led out of the room, Lando following them. She didn't turn to face Vader even after the door slid closed.

"I wish to speak with you," Vader said again speaking directly to Leia this time, in what he hoped was a kinder tone. “And your brother, when he arrives. She turned to look at him.

“My brother?” she said, feigning ignorance. His mind flashed to when he caught her flagship after the battle of Scarif.

“Yes, child. I know that Luke Skywalker is your brother. There is no use for pretense here.”

"You seem certain he will come here."

"He will sense it."

"Sense what?"

"He will sense your friends suffering. He will come to their aid."

"Where are they taking them?"

"For questioning," he answered, wanting to get off the subject of her companions.

"Right," she said sardonically, letting out a breathy laugh, turning to face him. "For _questioning_. Sure, because that's all the empire ever does. In fact, I remember that last time I was questioned by the empire." A beat passed. "I want my necklace back."

"Do you know what this necklace signifies?" he asked, curious to her knowledge of its history.

"Yes, give it here," she said, holding out her hand.

That would not do. "Do you know whose it was?"

"Yes. My mothers. Give it back."

"Do you know who made it for her?"

"Yes," she spat, growing impatient. "My father. It belongs to me now. Return it."

"I am your father," he announced.

"No, you are not," she said coolly.

Her answer confused him. It lacked the dramatics he expected. He knew she at least suspected, but still. It wasn't filled with misery, or mystification, or even of extreme denial. It was one of controlled anger.

"Anakin Skywalker was my father. No,  _Bail Organa_  was my father. You are not my father. You are Darth Vader. And Darth Vader is  _not my father_."

"I once was Anakin Skywalker," he pointed out.

"But you aren't now," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No. Skywalker was weak, foolish, and idealistic. I destroyed him."

She shrugged. "Then you are not my father. My necklace, please."

"My blood runs through your veins."

“No!” she snapped, beginning to lose her temper. “You killed Skywalker, didn’t you? Well, I’m here, a freeborn Skywalker, and Luke lives as a freeborn Skywalker too. The names lives. You gave up your name! I might not have been raised on Tatooine, but Luke was and he told me. You give up your _name_ , you give up your _claim_. _You_ gave _us_ up _, Vader_!”

“You were stolen from me!” he thundered. “I did not give you up! I had no idea you lived until a week after the Death Star was destroyed!”

“Luke told me the importance of names. It’s all you have on Tatooine. We were the first freeborn of our line and we won’t be giving it up so easily, _unlike you_. We will honor our name and the stories, _the struggle_ , that comes with it.” Her jaw clenched and her arms tensed. She walked over to the window and looked out to the clouds.

He stood up, looking at the back of her head.  _Look at me!_  "Nothing about what led me here was easy, young one, despite what Obi-Wan-"

"Oh, yes," she said bitingly "I know all about Obi-Wan and your fight. Forgive me for not pitying  _you_. Return my necklace."

Vader wanted to grab her by the shoulders, turn her around and make her listen. She spoke of Obi-Wan like she could possibly understand! He attempted to bottle his anger. "Listen to me, child. I-"

She spun to face him. "No! You-you've taken everything from me!  _Everything_. Everything I've ever known and loved. You destroyed my homeworld. You destroyed the life I shou- could've had." She swallowed, damning the tears she felt in her eyes. "I-I don't know much about my mother, but I know she loved Anakin Skywalker, not  _Darth Vader_. All I have is his name and her necklace. It's the only birthright I can accept from them. Give it back.  _It's mine_."

Leia felt the shock rolling off him. She shouldn't have said it. However, when she tried to summon regret, she couldn't. Looking at her shoes, she tried to take a hold of herself. She was angry and hurt and expecting these last few breathes to possibly be her last. She knew she should control herself better.  _Anger's of the dark side, Leia_ she heard Luke's voice echoing in her head.

Vader stared at his daughter. He looked at her clenched fists, heard her heavy breathing, and remembered what it was like to be young and volatile. She might have had her mothers looks and intelligence, but her temper, that was his temper.

 _Is this was Palpitine saw in me, all those years ago?_ he wondered. He knew he should be excited, giddy, planning the next move in his plan. _If the Jedi child won’t turn, why not the politician? Just as strong, without having to unlearn the weakness of the Jedi_ said a dark voice in his head.

 _No,_ he thought savagely. _Not like this. I will not manipulate my child the way I was. Let her choose me._

Leia, ignorant of her father’s internal struggling was still trying to reel in her own anger when the unthinkable happened: Darth Vader took her hand, opened it, and dropped the pendant into it.

"I-I hadn't seen it in a very long time. Not since I watched her funeral on the holo," he said in lieu of an apology.

Leia opened and closed her mouth before staring at her hand. This…this was way out of character. After the way she had just spoken to him she shouldn't be able to breathe right now. Vader's quick temper was legendary.

"W-what do you want from us?" she asked, out of breath, throat tightening with tears.

Vader moved to stand beside her. He gazed out the window and clasped his hands behind his back. "I want to speak with you and your brother. I want to overthrow the Emperor. We could rule together and bring peace to the universe."

" _What_?" she asked, bewildered, turning her body so she could face him. The black mask stared down at her. "How- I mean-  _In what dimension_  would that ever work? Luke and I- we're nothing like you!"

"You are more like me than you think, young one," said his voice solemnly.

She ignored him, refusing to even acknowledge the words. "The Empire is evil and so is the Emperor. The system doesn't work…and Luke would never turn to the dark side," she persisted. "Not even for you. I know him better than anyone."

"And you?"

She raised her chin. " _Never_. I want nothing to do with any of it. I'm not even training my ability more than necessary. I refuse."

"Not ever?" he asked bewildered. He remembered growing up, not understanding the strange powers he possessed. He so  _desperately_  wanted to be trained, he left his mother…“Why?”

She looked at him in disbelief. "The answer to that question is standing right in front of me. I've seen what you can do. I've  _experienced_  it firsthand," she said hand almost unconsciously coming to rest at the base of her throat. "If that's not enough of a reason, I don't know what is."

"I didn't know who you were when I-"

"It doesn't matter," she said defeated, looking away again. "All that matters is that it happened." She gripped the japor in her fist.

He studied her profile. "You're very much like her. Your mother. She had the same passion for politics. And determination. And eyes. It's frightening how much your eyes are like hers."  _Except her eyes never held such contempt for me. Even when I did the unspeakable_  he added silently.

"Did you love her?" she asked, still staring at her fist.

"I love her still. With my entire soul," he answered simply, without hesitation.

Leia looked up at him. She felt the sorrow coming from him, the longing of a woman long gone. The love. It was odd, the love. He shouldn't be able to love. It didn't add up.

This whole situation was ridicules. It didn't make sense. She was emotionally exhausted.

He felt it.

"Come. I will bring you back to your cell. Think of what we spoke of. You will wait for your brother there and we will talk again."

She swallowed as she followed him to the door, knowing trying to escape was futile. As he was about to type the code to slide the door open she spoke. "Why weren't you at her funeral?" The unsaid  _if you loved her so much_  hung between them.

His mind flashed.

_Where is Padmé? Is she alright? Is she safe?_

"I was being built," boomed the deep baritone.

Leia followed him out of the room, unsure whether he meant his suit or Darth Vader himself.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, Leia helped Chewie lead Han to a metal bench. He was sweaty and pale, letting out a soft groan as they lowered him down. She knelt down beside him.

"I'm so sorry," she said softly.

"Nah," he said. "It's not your fault."

"It is. He wants me, and Luke, and now he's manipulating Luke by hurting you and –"

"Still, not your fault, sweetheart."

"It is though," she insisted. "He wants – he has this  _delusional_  –" she broke off not knowing where to begin, or even  _if_  to begin. Chewie subtly sidled off to Threepio's broken body and began his repairs again, giving his friends some privacy.

"Listen, it's not your fau–"

"Han, there's something that you should know. About me. And Vader. And Luke. It's why, I think, he didn't – I mean it doesn't make sense why he didn't hurt me this time, but he claims it’s why because he didn't  _know_  before. Like that changes anything. But when I was on the Death Star I found out–"

"Leia," he said, grabbing her hand and holding it to his chest.

"Please, Han," she said, staring at their hands. "What I'm trying to tell you – it's  _hard_. It's hard and it hurts, and I don't want to but I have to because it's the right thing to do and I owe it to you."

"Hey!  _Hey_. You don't have to. I – I know."

"You know?" she asked, uncomprehendingly.

"Yeah, I –uh, I know."

"You don't know. How could you know?"

"Well, Luke – listen, he was really  _really_  drunk and he –  _hey_!" he said when she tried to tug her hand out of his grasp. He clasped it between his two, still resting on his chest. "It don't matter to me what your – um – biology is. I told your brother that. Doesn't make a difference."

"How long?" she asked, staring at their hands.

"Aw, geez Leia, I don't –"

"How long, Han?"

Han sighed. "Since him and me made that Hoth supply trip. While we were still on Thila. Right after you told him."

She looked at him, shocked. "That was – that was nearly  _three years ago_!"

"Yep."

"Three years."

"Yes."

"You've known for three years."

"Nine hells, didn't I just –?"

"You've known for three years and you still got… _involved_  with me?"

"I told you! It doesn't matter."

"No. Yes. I mean, there is a difference between it not mattering to you and then getting involved with –"

"Not with you."

She stopped, looking at him open-mouthed.

"It's you, Leia. You."

"Oh," she said eloquently.

"You – uh – you get at what I'm trying to say?"

"Yeah," she said smiling. She bent her head and kissed him. "I do. And I –" But she was interrupted by the sliding open of the cell door. Lando and two guards entered their cell.

 _Another time_  she thought as she helped Han sit up on his bench as he began to yell at the friend who betrayed them.  _I'll tell him another time._

She just didn't think it would before he'd be frozen.

 

* * *

 

Luke maneuvered his X-wing carefully, casting his senses out cautiously, not wanting to alert Vader but looking for his sister. _Leia?_ he called, sensing her anguish. 

She opened her mind to him, and he felt her anguish like a tidal wave.  _Luke, he’s frozen Han_ she thought to him.

 _He’s what??_ he asked as he landed his ship. There was no doubt on the ‘he’. 

_He’s frozen Han in carbonite for Boba Fett. Han survived. They know you’re here. He plans to do it to you next._

He climbed out of his X-wing and carefully crossed the platform, Artoo hot on his heels. _Well, that explains the lack of guards_ he thought.

_It’s a trap!_

_I know, sis. I still had to come_ Luke scans the display panel with concern.

_He told me he wants to talk to you, to us._

_Why?_

_He wants to rule the galaxy as a family! He doesn’t see an issue with giving up Skywalker but still acknowledging our connection._

_That doesn’t make any sense._

_He’s unhinged._

_Did he hurt you?_

_Not yet. He says he won’t, but it’s Vader._

Luke and Artoo moved carefully down a deserted corridor, pausing when they heard a group of people coming down a side hallway. Artoo let out an excited series of beeps and whistles. Luke glared at the tiny droid, who stops in his tracks with a feeble squeak.

_Get back in your X-wing and fly to the rendezvous spot._

_Oh, yeah, that’s likely. I’ll just leave you here and –_

_This isn’t up for discussion! As your commanding officer –_

_I think you’re about to pass me. Hold tight._

Boba Fett entered from a side hallway followed by two guards pushing the floating, encased body of Han. Luke edged closer, readying his blaster but the two stormtroopers who follow trailed behind Han immediately spotted Luke and opened fire on him. Luke fired his weapon, striking the two troopers before they can get off a second shot. The other two guards whisk Han into another hallway as Fett lowers his arm and fires a deadly laser at Luke, which explodes to one side and tears up a huge chunk of wall.

Luke rushed to a side hallway, but by the time he reaches it, Fett, Han, and the guards are gone. A think metal door blocked the passage. Luke turned to see Leia, Chewie, Threepio, and another man being herded down a second hallway by several other stormtroopers. Leia turned just in time to see Luke.

“Luke! Luke, don't – please just get _the hell_ – _get the hell out of –_ ” but before she can finish, she was pulled through a doorway and disappeared from his sight. Luke raced after the group, leaving little Artoo trailing behind.

Luke stopped in an anteroom trying to get his bearings. Leia and the others are nowhere to be seen. Behind Luke, Artoo rolled down the corridor toward the anteroom when suddenly a giant metal door comes slamming down, cutting off Luke's exit. Several more doors clanged shut, echoing through the chamber.

 _So that could have gone better_ Luke thought at her.

_I told you to go back! Now –_

_Listen, we always find a way back to each other. I’ll deal with…this, and whoever escapes first gets to –_

_This isn’t a game! We have to find Han before Fett leaves for the Outer Rim._

_We will. Keep an eye out for Artoo and call for me if anything changes._

_Be careful_

_You too_

Luke cautiously walked forward among hissing pipes and steam. Seeing an opening above him, he stopped to look up. As he does, the platform he was standing on began to move. Luke rose into the chamber, borne by the platform. He stumbled slightly, taking in the quiet room he was now in. Very little steam escapes the pipes and no one else _seemed_ to be in the large chamber. Warily, Luke walked toward the stairway, casting his sense out. He felt him before he saw him

“The Force is with you, Young Skywalker.”

Luke stopped, trying to collect himself, breathing through his fear. He holstered his blaster as he walked the rest of the way up the staircase. He stopped at the top, leaving meters between himself and the right hand of the Emperor. His hand twitched for his _(his fathers)_ saber, but he left it at his side.

“Hello,” he said for lack of anything else to say, not knowing what exactly you’re supposed to say when you’re meeting your father for the first time face to face.

“Hello,” Vader responded.

They were both silent.

“Well,” Luke said, not knowing why he needed to fill the silence, other than it was painfully awkward. “This is already better than my vision.”

“Your vision?”

“Yeah, I walk into this room and we see each other, but instead of this,” Luke said, waving his hand between the two of them, “I ignite my lightsaber. We fight. You slice my hand off.”

Luke lowered his arm, flexing his hand in question, purposefully not reaching for his saber.

“What?” said Vader, taking a step towards him. Luke automatically took a step back, nearly falling off the platform, grimacing at the instinct. Vader stopped. “I…I wouldn’t hurt you, son.”

“Leia mentioned,” Luke murmured, trying to ignore the endearment.

“She…mentioned? When did you speak?”

Luke tapped his forehead. “A few minutes ago. Is it normal to talk using the Force? Or is it a family thing?”

“Between masters and padawans it is not so unusual,” Vader said slowly. “But it’s very intimate. A natural link between people who are close.”

“So a bit of both, then.”

“You seem,” said Vader, pausing, trying to find the right words. “More…accepting of our relationship than your sister.”

“Well, to Leia’s credit, you’ve blindsided her every time. I’ve had a bit more warning, between her giving me a heads up, my vision of you, and my vision of Han. She also said something of you trying to trap me in carbonite?”

“It wouldn’t have harmed you!” he insisted.

“It wouldn’t have helped,” responded Luke.

“I didn’t think you’d be this…amiable to talking with me. That’s why I tested it on the smuggler first.”

Luke clenched his jaw, exhaling a long breath through his nose. “You know,” he said, deliberately mild. “That smuggler has saved my life about ten times over. Leia’s too. He even stopped you from killing me during the battle of Yavin. Knocked you right off course before I took out the Death Star.”

“Yes, he seems to have made himself invaluable to my children. In multiple ways.”

“Ah,” said Luke, stiffening at the word. _Children._ “And then there’s that.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Leia says you claim us without claiming Skywalker.”

“I destroyed Skywalker’s life. I am your father. You are my children. Skywalker has nothing to do with it.”

Luke shook his head. “You’re from Tatooine, you know that’s not how it works.”

“The wider galaxy is more complex than Tatooine, my son.”

Luke raised his chin, looking up to at Vader. “Tatooine is a lot of things, but simple is not one of them. Unless you’ve forgotten.”

“Tatooine,” bristled Vader, “isn’t a place that lets you forget, much to my displeasure.”

“Then you understand our distrust!”

“You should have been with me from the start! Then these… negotiations wouldn’t be necessary.”

“Why now? After all of a sudden?”

“I – it’s not all of a sudden. I thought you _died_ with your mother! We didn’t even know we were having twins. I only found our child – _our children_ – survived a week after the destruction of the Death Star!”

Luke stared at him in disbelief. Not necessarily unkind, but incredulous nonetheless. Vader was once again struck by how his child was very much like his mother. Leia had her look, her intelligence, and her passionate political savvy. But Luke…there was something in his demeanor: calm, cool, collected, a hint of dry humor. He was very much like his mother, the way he talked around a problem.

“So, you didn’t know. About us,” Luke concluded.

“No. My actions…what I did to Leia is unforgivable. I don’t blame her for her anger towards me. I won’t ever forgive myself, how could I expect her too? What I’ve done to both of you…if I’d known, Luke, our life would not be like this.” 

“The Emperor would never have let you keep us,” Luke said.

“I would have dealt with him then.”

“Why haven’t you?”

“What would have been the point? I saw no reason to change the status quo after everything I had done and everyone I had lost. With Sidious dead, I would be Emperor. I was never a bureaucrat or a narcissist. I had no interest in governing.”

“And now?”

“Now you have only begun to discover your power. Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.”

“ _No_ ,” said Luke emphatically. “I won’t. I could no easier join you than breathe underwater.”

“If you only knew the power of the dark side, Luke. _You_ can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as a family, the three of us! Come with me! It is the only way.”

“A _family_? You think I will just give up my principles and join the dark side? You think Leia’s going to join up with the fascists she’s been fighting her whole life? For a man who can’t even claim our name?”

“You know not of what you speak of, child,” Vader snapped, patience wearing thin.

“Is this what he offered you all those years ago? Power? That’s the price you sold yourself for?” asked Luke, hurt and reckless.

“ _Yes_!” thundered Vader. “I destroyed Skywalker for _power_. For the power to save your mother. I dreamt that she was to die. The Jedi would have done nothing and the Emperor told me this was the only way to save her. What good was Skywalker to me without my children and my wife?” he seethed. Luke was stricken, but Vader couldn’t stop. “But it was for nothing. I fought Kenobi, lost my limbs, and was told you had all died. I had nothing but the darkness, so darkness I became. What use was Skywalker to me then either.”

“But we lived,” said Luke softly, taking a step towards Vader.

“And I found out twenty years too late,” he said bitterly.

“What is it you really want? Do you truly want to usurp the Emperor? Rule the galaxy?”

A beat passed between them.

“I want him dead,” said Vader finally. “And want…I want to know you as my son, and Leia as my daughter.” _I want my family._

Luke was stunned. “You…you really mean that,” he said.

Vader nodded jerkily.

Luke took half a step towards Vader, faltering. “I…I can’t do what you ask.” He said slowly.

“It’s the only way for us to be together, son. For the Emperor to be destroyed.”

“What…what if there was another way?” said Luke tentatively.

Vader froze. “What?”

“What if there was another way to defeat the Emperor. Another way for us…” he trailed off, looking at Vader carefully, evaluating.

“There is no other way.”

“You’re not what I expected,” said Luke slowly, collecting his thoughts. “You’re conflicted. I feel it.”

“I am not, young one. I understand my lot in life and my role to play. You must join me. There is no other way to survive this.”

“There is, don’t you see?” said Luke, looking up and seeing his reflection in Vader’s mask. “You join us.”

“ _What?!_ ” said Vader, shocked.

“Join _our_ cause! You can get almost everything you wanted. We can destroy the Emperor! Just with the Rebellion. You can have a chance to know me, actually know me, not whoever I’d become if I fell. And I won’t fall. I’d die first. This is how we do this. This is how we be together.”

“Don’t be naïve,” Vader snapped. “You don't know the power of the dark side. I _must_ obey my master.”

“But you haven’t!” argued Luke, taking another step towards Vader. “You haven’t told him about Leia. You’ve kept her a secret! You didn’t even tell him about me! Our intelligence has the Empire knowing my identity at just a few months ago. You’ve just said you’ve known since after the Death Star! _That’s years_! You haven’t obeyed him! Let me help you!”

“You know nothing.”

“Well I wouldn’t say nothing. I know a little,” Luke said wryly, before getting serious again. “You’ve done horrible things. But despite it all, there is still a part of me that wants to know you.” Tentatively he laid his hand on Vader’s forearm. “But I can’t. Not the way you want me to. That path is one I cannot follow.”

Vader looked at his son’s hand, then back at Luke. _(You're breaking my heart…you are going down a path I can't follow…make the right choice)_

Luke winced, hearing Leia’s voice loudly in his mind, _Fett got away. Lando is on our side. We are escaping. I have Artoo. Where are you?_

 _Can’t talk, will follow,_ he sent back, needing all his concentration for the conversation he was physically having.

“Join us. Please. I don’t want to fight you. I’m not sure I’d be able to.”

“You must. If anyone is after you – your life, you must defend yourself. Destroy them,” said Vader severely.

“Even against you?”

“I won’t fight you, son.”

“It sounds like we should be on the same side, huh? If I won’t fight you and you won’t fight me.”

“How…how would you have me go about this?” asked Vader slowly.

“What?”

“If I were to agree to your…terms, what would you have me do?”

“You’ll do it? Join the Rebellion?”

“I doubt the Rebellion would have me,” rumbled Vader. “But I’ll join you.”

“Well,” said Luke, running his hand through his hair, small smile twisting his lips. “I – I don’t – I didn’t exactly come here expecting to offer this to you. I never even dreamed this would be an option.”

“That is not persuasive, my son.”

“What could you do?” asked Luke, “Without getting caught, I mean. I don’t think it’d we be wise for us to go off to fight the Emperor right now.”

“I can do a great many things.”

“Could you get us information? Schedules for Weapon convoys and other materials? I’m not an intelligence officer, but any information that could help turn the tide in the war?”

“Yes,” said Vader.

“We could meet in four weeks. Gives you plenty of time to gather information, and for me to…” Luke trailed off, looking up at Vader. “You will have to let me go now,” he said.

Vader was silent a moment. “I’d…I’d rather not,” he said stiffly.

“I know. But this is how it has to be. I need to go back to the Rebellion. I need to go save Han from Jabba. And we will see each other soon.”

“I suppose I should let your sister go as well,” asked Vader, delaying the inevitable.

Luke waved off his concern. “She’s already escaped.”

“ _What?_ How?”

“I mean, she's Leia. Nearly caught Fett, too,” Luke said casually. “She wanted to come rescue me but I told her it was unnecessary. I wasn’t wrong, was I?”

Vader was silent. Luke reached into the Force, feeling for Vader. He felt like a fortress caught underneath a lighting storm. Unmoving and electric. But somehow, he had let Luke in. Not all the way in, but an inch no one had gotten from the dark lord in probably over twenty years. He was deeply conflicted when it came to the dogmas of the Force. The only thing that seemed unwavering was his devotion to his children.

“We need to start building trust. It’s not going to be easy, but this is a start,” said Luke.

“I understand,” said Vader. They looked at each other. “Do you know where Bakura is?”

“Yeah,” said Luke, “It’s in the Bakura system of the Shiritoku Spur, on the edge of the Outer Rim.”

“We can meet in the north, in Prytis. There is a small estate I can get access to,” Vader said.

“Okay,” said Luke. “Four standard weeks from today.”

Vader reached out, pausing, before resting his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “When you’re in orbit, reach out to me. I’ll give you more specific coordinates then.”

“Okay,” said Luke.

“May the Force be with you, my son.”

“May the Force be with you…Father.”

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry this was a bit delayed. Work is starting to pick up and it was my birthday last week so I've been celebrating. :)
> 
> Well here it is! Vader, trying to make it right. The next chapter will mostly be his reflection on Luke and his offer, worrying about Leia, Leia wanting to straight up murder Luke, and possibly the meeting on Bakura.
> 
> Thanks reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An argument, a better understanding, a dream.

It was three days before Luke and Leia were able to talk. Really talk. Since landing his X-wing on Home One he had been debriefing, writing up reports, catching up with his Squadron, catching up with Wedge, and coordinating with the Alliance (who couldn’t official help Han but were willing to look the other way when it came certain things). He was planning with Chewie and Lando and consequently working around the clock on the Falcon so they can begin making inquiries. Leia was doing much of the same. It didn’t leave much time for the two of them to get a privet word.

 

Luke walked with a purpose to Leia’s office. His aim was to seek her out at the end of his night, but that had frustratingly turned into the early hours of the morning. It didn’t make much of a difference really. He knew she was still up. But before he had the chance to knock on her door it slide open. He smiled as he walked in, trying not to radiate concern.

 

“Hey,” greeted Leia, voice gravely, looking up from a datapad. She had dark circles under her eyes and her braids were loose and frayed.

 

“Hi,” he said, collapsing into the seat across from her desk. “When was the last time you slept?”

 

She let out a humorless snort “I could ask you the same thing.”

 

“Definitely more recently that you,” he said, stretching his arms above his head and popping his shoulders.

 

“I’d guess that that’s not overly impressive,” Leia said as he rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands. “Sorry we haven’t had a chance to talk.”

 

“It’s fine,” he waved off. “It’s been a bit crazy. I just left the Falcon.”

 

“Oh,” she said, averting her eyes from his face, concentrating on organizing the contents of her desk. “When are they leaving?”

 

“Tomorrow.”

 

“Mmm,” murmured Leia, dragging a hand down her face.

 

“They’re determined, Leia. If they don’t find him, they find something. Lando said he knows a guy.”

 

“I bet he does,” said Leia skeptically. She looked up at him. “So, you found your Jedi Master, then?”

 

“Yeah, Yoda,” said Luke, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

Leia looked at him and him expectantly. “So?” she prompted, small smile on her lips. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

 

“Yes and no,” he said. _Remember the Cave._ “It was… a lot. He was more intense than Ben ever was. Yoda…was harsh and unforgiving, but could be kind and silly in moments. He...he wasn’t pleased with me when I left. I didn’t complete my training.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“I had a vision. Of you and Han and Chewie. I had to help.”

 

Leia grimaced and sighed, leaning back in her chair. “It was a trap,” she said, reiterating her yells in the Bespin corridor.

 

“Well, I figured that going into it. But I still had to go. Maybe if I had been there sooner or – ”

 

“Hey,” she said, leaning forward in her chair and across her desk, grasping his hand in hers and squeezing. “It’s not your fault, Luke. It’s Vader’s.”

 

Luke squeezed her hand back, steeling himself for a moment. This conversation would not be an easy one. He could hear the venom on her voice when she spoke of Vader. It was deserved. Her anger and hurt which had always been at a simmer had reached it’s boiling point. Luke had done a lot of difficult things in his life, but knowing he was about to hurt Leia, knowing he had to hurt Leia, was the hardest thing he was about to do.

 

“I actually wanted to ask to you about him,” she continued, much to Luke’s surprise. “I noticed you didn’t put your encounter with him in your official report.”

 

“Yeah,” said Luke. “I wanted to – uh – to talk to you about it before officially doing, you know, anything."

 

Leia raised her eyebrows and stood up, coming to sit in the chair next to his. “Okay,” she said.

 

“Do you remember,” Luke started, hardly knowing how to begin, “when we talked on Bespin? And you said that…that he wanted us to join him? To destroy the Emperor and – ”

 

“And be a _family_?” Leia finished, anger shining in her eyes. “Yeah Luke, I remember that.”

 

“Okay, so when I met with him, he said the same thing. Wanted us to be together and destroy the Emperor. And we argued. He told me…” Luke trailed off, not knowing how to phrase it. “Leia, he’s not what I expected.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“He’s…he’s conflicted. Couldn’t you feel it? The more we argued, the more it became clear. He has no desire to rule the galaxy. No desire to actually be the Emperor. He wants the Emperor gone and –”

 

“And us! He was us. To be a ‘family.’ Which I’d like to point out, is _insane_!” interrupted Leia. “Where are you going with this, Luke?”

 

“I…I offered him an alternative. To his – uh – invitation.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I told him that he should join us. Give us information on the Empire, and that I’d help him destroy the Emperor, but on my terms. Not joining the dark side, not ruling the galaxy. Doing this _right_ and with the Alliance. And he agreed. He’s going to give us information. I’m going to meet with him in four standard weeks time so I can collect the data. He’ll be our spy.”

 

Leia was silent for a long moment, staring at her brother. Luke looked right back, opening his mind to his sister, hoping she’d understand.

 

“Are –” she broke off, voice raspy. She cleared her throat. “Have you lost your mind?!”

 

“Leia –”

 

“Work with him? You offered to work with him?”

 

“Listen –”

 

“No, I don’t think I will, Luke!” she said, getting out of her seat. “What is wrong with you? He’s uncompromising! And obviously he knows your weaknesses. The moment you get to your meeting, he’s going to capture you, try and turn you, and then kill you.”

 

“Why didn’t he do so on Bespin?” Luke answered, standing as well. “If that was his endgame. He could have taken me in then.”

 

“How am I supposed to understand how that monster's mind works? Maybe he thought he’d have a better go at it when you came to him on some backwater planet ready for your Luke and Daddy date!”

 

“You’re being cruel,” Luke said, astonished.

 

“And you’re being deliberately obtuse and naive! I thought you grew out of this.”

 

“I’m not a stupid child, Leia!”

  
“Than quit being childish! Let this boyhood fantasy die. He cannot be the father you want him to be!”

 

“I know that!”

 

“You could’ve fooled me!”

 

“Do you think I can’t separate what I wanted against what is actually going on?”

 

“It doesn’t seem like it! After everything he’s done? He held me back as I watched my planet destroyed! He tortured me. And Han! And then he used Han as a test subject and then sent him to Jabba the Hutt! And those are only the things he’s done _directly_ to us! And you want to get to know him? Work with him? How could you do that to us? To Han?”

 

“So it _is_ my fault? Han being gone?”

 

“No!” she yelled. “It’s not your fault. It’s _his_! Which is exactly why you shouldn’t go meet him again!”

 

“Putting how we feel aside –”

 

“Are you going to attempt to tell me that you got yourself in this predicament by putting how you feel _aside_?!”

 

“ –this is a unique opportunity for the Rebellion! The information he can get us will be unparalleled to anything any of Draven’s spies would ever be able to extract.”

 

“That’s the thing Luke, he’s not going to give you information! You’re willing to throw your life away and drag the rest of us with you for what? The man you wished could have been your father? You’re going to leave me for the man who renounced not only his name, but all the principles that went along with it?”

 

“Leia,” he said, reaching out for her, but she stepped back, out of his reach.

 

“How could you even think about doing this?” she asked, eyes shining.

 

He felt the betrayal she felt, the feeling he inflicted. She felt hurt and angry and scared and it was his fault. _How could you?_ she thought.

 

“Leia, I love you. Ever since you’ve known I existed, you’ve done the right thing by me. You are the most intelligent and brave person I know. But, I’m telling you, you are wrong about this.”

 

“Go fuck yourself,” she said coolly. She turned her back on him, the walls of her mind pushing him out and slamming down. She walked out of her office. Luke fell back into his chair, wiping the tears from his face, not knowing what to do next.

 

* * *

 

A week passed without Luke and Leia speaking, much less being in the same room. It was the longest they had gone without speaking deliberately. She had gone months without talking to her brother, when he was still living on Tatooine and she was still in the Senate, but that was only due to their circumstance. It wasn’t a choice. But now they occupied the same ship and the only thing keeping them apart was his resolve, her temper, and their combined stubbornness.

 

But Luke was scheduled for mission with Rogue Squadron for tomorrow and despite everything, Leia didn’t want him to leave with their argument still hanging between them.

 

She hovered outside the entrance of the mess hall waiting for him to exit. She lowered her mental walls to him, letting him know she was there, giving him the option to meet her, or use another exit. After a few minutes, she felt him approach her. She pushed off against the wall she was leaning on, folding her hands in front of her as he appeared in the doorway.

 

“Hi,” she said.

 

“Hey,” he responded, sounding tired. He still looked like he wasn’t getting much sleep.

 

“Can we talk?”

 

“Yeah, sure.”

 

“My office?”

  
“Lead the way,” he said, brushing his mind against hers, a cautious greeting. She grasped onto it, missing his presence more than she realized.

 

They didn’t speak while walking to her office, both chaffing at the tension between them and relishing at the rekindling of their connection. It wasn’t like they were privy to each others thought even a fraction of the time, but the presence of the others mind was like the weight of ones hair; you didn’t really notice it while it was there, but if shaved off you felt it lacking.

 

Leia typed in her passcode and her door slide open. She walked in and Luke followed in her wake. As the door slid shut she turned to him, arms crossed over chest.

 

“I can’t pretend I understand why you are doing this,” she said, staring a hole into Luke chest. “I think it’s more than a little foolhardy, and I think we could use your skills elsewhere. At the very minimum it’s a waste of resources and at the most it’s a suicide mission.”

 

“Is this your idea of an apology?” asked Luke, crossing his arms too, raising an eyebrow.

 

“I’m getting there,” she muttered, meeting his eyes. A beat passed between them. “I am sorry I lost my temper. I don’t think you are a child or –”

 

“I know,” Luke said. “I’m sorry, too. I knew what I was going to tell you – what I’m going to do – I knew it would hurt you. I understand why you it hurts. It’s completely valid. But, Leia, I also know this is the right thing to do. If I wasn’t so sure I wouldn’t do this to you. I –”

 

“I know,” she said, eyes kind and sad.

 

“I just want you to know…I never made any promises on your behalf. I never gave him any expectations of what you would do if he joined us. I wouldn’t, Leia, I swear it. Not with all he’s done to you. I would never ask that of you. I promise.”

 

“Okay,” she said, hesitantly. She went to hug her brother, but paused. “But don’t think this is me giving you my blessing. I still think this is a horrible idea. I understand I can’t stop you, and I won’t tell the High Council, but I am _not_ on board with this.”

 

“I understand,” said Luke. Leia nodded and she wrapped her hands around his middle. He hugged her back.

 

“I love you,” she said into his shoulder, letting out a watery sigh.

 

He pressed the side of his head against hers, hugged her tight. “I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

Luke entered the Bakura system, sweating profusely. Sometime during the last leg of his time in hyperspace his cockpit’s temperature steadily increased, as did Artoo’s frenzied warnings.

 

“I hear you, Artoo. I’ll feed you the coordinates in as soon as we have them, unless you think I should do it manually? Would that cook the X-wing anymore?”

 

<<NEGATIVE>> responded Artoo. <<IT WOULD NOT AFFECT NAVAGATIONAL SYSTEM>>

 

“All right,” Luke said as rolled his shoulders, not wanting to reach up and wipe the sweat pooling where his shoulder met his neck for the millionth time. He had already unzipped his flight suit a significant amount. He kept his descent slow and steady as he reached out, looking for the sandstorm of a presence that was his father.

 

(a smaller, pessimistic part of him murmured _if Leia was right and there is a squadron of death troopers waiting for you, you are fucked._ )

 

 _Father?_ Luke thought, narrowing in on Vader’s presence.

 

 _My son,_ greeted Vader. Luke shifted in his seat, brows furrowing. His voice was nothing like what his speaking voice sound like. It was surreal _. The coordinates for our rendezvous point are 60.1699° N, 24.9384° E. It’s north of the valley, very close to the cover of the forest. There is a small clearing where you can land._

_Okay, great,_ he said, repeating the coordinates to Artoo out loud. He wiped the steam from the window as his X-wing began to descend. He reached out with his senses, not picking up other sentients near where Vader had instructed him to land, or that Vader was shielding anyone’s presence. Certainly not a squadron of troopers.

 

Vader, his father. Despite what Leia said, it still wasn’t an easy transition in his mind. He certainly accepted the fact that Darth Vader was his father. He could even address him as so, if he needed to address him at all. It wasn’t comfortable or easy, this shift. But he truly felt that Vader, that his father, was on a path that could bring him back to Luke. And maybe one day Leia. If he was willing to try, so was Luke.

 

Luke let out a noisy breath through his nose, coming in hotter than he’d prefer when entering the atmosphere. Double-checking his gauges, still safe, if only just so.

 

 _Son?_ asked his father, concern shining tentatively through the new bond.

_I’m fine,_ reassured Luke. _My X-wing is a bit overheated. Something with the compressor, I think. Should be an easy fix once I land._

Luke felt Vader’s alarm rise slightly before he pulled it back. Luke filed it away, maybe to tell Leia, but more so to reflect on after he landed safe. He gripped his controls tighter as he hit a bumpy patch of air.

 

 _Careful!_ rang his fathers voice. He reassured his father, projecting deliberate mildness.

 

“Okay, switching to manual, Artoo. I’ve got it from here,” said Luke, switching the controls. He saw the field Vader had mentioned, quickly wiping the steam that had started to build up on his front shield.

He made his descent slowly, keeping an eye on his gage while getting closer to the clearing. The trees were topped with yellow leaves and flowers. At the edge of the clearing his was able to see his Father’s hulking figure. Fortifying himself for his final landing an imminent meeting.

 

He unclasped his safety belt raising his head, feeling the cool air from the outside as Artoo raised the cockpit. He took a fresh breath in before standing. Vader walked purposefully towards him. He quelled his rising anxiety and gave a small wave before he was able to stop himself.

 

“Hello,” said Luke, wiping sweat from his brow with his forearm.

 

“Hello,” said Vader.

 

“I’m getting déjà vu,” Luke said dryly.

 

“What did you do to your ship?” he asked, arms crossed over his life support panel.

 

Luke raised his eyebrows as he climbed down his ladder. “I’m not sure. It passed its preflight diagnostics before I took off, so something must have happened midflight. I’d guess the compressor’s wiring might have come loose. You wouldn’t happen to have a toolset would you?”

 

“While I’ve made sure the location is secure, I’d prefer to use the carriage house to take refuge in rather than the mansion. I found a toolbox during my initial sweep of the premises.”

 

“Okay,” said Luke, unzipping his flight suit to his waist, shrugging out of the arms and tying them across his hip, leaving him in his undershirt. He welcomed the goosebumps that erupted on his arms. “Lead the way. Artoo? Follow us, please.”

 

His faithful droid beeped an affirmative and Luke turned to already see his father walking towards what must be their destination. He took a deep breath before breaking into a jog to catch up with his…Vader.

 

“What’s a carriage house?” asked Luke after a few moments walking of silence next to Vader.

 

“It is a building that staff of the estate would house transportation and sometimes live. This particular house has quarters on the upper level, probably for drivers and the like.”

 

“Oh,” said Luke, not waiting to give his thoughts voice. _Like slave quarters?_ He didn’t think Vader of all people would appreciate the comparison.

They made the rest of the walk in a tense silence. The carriage house seemed to a two-story cabin, built from the same light colored wood that the forest was filled of, with a tin roof, door and double garage door that land or air vehicles could fit.

 

Vader raised his hand and the garage door opened. Artoo chirped and whirled, slowly bringing his ship into the garage. Without so much as a preamble, Vader summoned the toolbox to him, climbed onto a workman’s stepladder, opened the paneling and began to work.

 

“You were right to think it was the compressor, my son. The coolant separator cartridge is cracked, leaking slightly,” he announced, macrofuser in hand. “The wires are also frayed. It seems to me that the only thing that stopped you from burning up when you left hyperspace was the will of the Force.”

 

“Okay,” said Luke slowly, not entirely sure what was going on. “Thanks. But, you don’t have to – I can fix my ship.”

 

Vader froze, as if he only just realized what he was doing. “Of course,” he said, straitening up, and walking down the stepladder. He handed Luke the macrofuser, but didn’t move. Father and son looked at each other; Luke confused but patient, reflecting in Vader’s mask. “I have not…I have not – had the opportunity to work on machines in quite some time,” Vader explained.

 

Luke tilted his head slightly, holding the macrofuser out. “Well, feel free, if you’d like.”

 

“Are you positive?” Vader asked, taken aback.

 

Luke shrugged. “I don’t mind.”

 

Vader slowly took the macrofuser back. He climbed the stool once more and began working. It was silent for the most part, Vader bent in the X-wing, Luke passing him tools every so often, observing Vader without being observed himself. Vader seemed to lose himself in the mechanics.

 

“Did you…used to work on your own ships?” asked Luke.

 

“Yes. I'd work on anything. Machines were always easier than sentients,” said Vader. “Even when I was a child. I didn’t understand why my mother and I were treated as such…as property. But I understood it wasn’t fair and I understood how machines worked. That’s why I built her Th–” he broke off abruptly, freezing.

 

“Built her what?” Luke asked after a beat, hungry for more details from _before_. (before the war, before Vader fell. More of his grandmother, of Anakin Skywalker’s childhood, of his family story.)

 

Luke thinks Vader sighed, not because he hears it through his mask, but because he sees his shoulders rise and fall. Vader turns his head, looking down at Luke from the innards of his X-wing.

 

“I built Threepio.”

 

“ _You?_ You built Threepio?” Luke asked, shocked.

 

“If you don’t believe me, ask your astromech droid.”

 

Artoo beeped indignantly, wanting to be left out of the conversation.

  
“How would Artoo know?”

 

“He was your mother’s. He was there when we met. Barring a memory wipe, he could corroborate.”

 

“Artoo?” Luke asked. 

 

But the little droid swiveled his eye away from the two sentiments, uncharacteristically silent. Luke let out a breathless laugh, pushing his sweaty hair off his forehead. Vader began working again.

 

“How did Leia end up with him if you built him for Grandmother?” he asked.

 

Vader gritted his teeth. His mother would never hear herself referred to as Grandmother. (She wouldn’t see his children. She wouldn’t –) But he pushed through it.

 

“Your mother and I took him with us. After your grandmother was killed. He stayed with your mother after that. She always had a soft spot for him.”

 

( _“He's wonderful!”_

_“You really like him? He's a protocol droid...to help Mom. Watch!”_

_“How do you do? I am See-Threepio, Human Cyborg Relations. How might I serve you?”_

_“He's perfect.”_ )

 

“A soft spot,” Luke guffawed. “I mean, he does tend to grow on you. And Leia ended up with him. And Artoo, too,” he said, looking back at his droid. Artoo swiveled away again.

 

Vader shifted again, reminded of his first betrayal, the gap in his knowledge between Mustafar and the first Death Star. The little droids silence was a testament to that.

 

“Did you tell your sister what you were doing?” he asked, a question that burned within him since making the plans to see his son a month ago.

 

“I wasn’t going to lie to her.”

 

“I can’t imagine that she approved,” he said.

 

Luke snorted. “That’s one way to put it.” They worked in silence, Luke trying to find the right words. “She’s…wary. About this meeting.”

 

“She doesn’t trust me,” corrected Vader, parsing through Luke’s meaning. His son winced. “Nor should she. Nor should you.”

 

“Do you plan to betray us?” Luke said lightly, reaching up to pass Vader a spanner without being asked.

 

Vader took it without hesitation. “No. But you have no reason to trust me. Any past action would reflect not to trust me. Your sister is wise, son. She is cautious with your life. You should appreciate that.”

 

“I do,” insisted Luke, feeling the echoes of his and Leia’s argument reverberating in his head. “But she doesn’t trust the Force like we do. She doesn’t speak to it. She rarely listens to it.”

 

His father was silent for a long moment. “The Force speaks more clearly to you than it ever did to me, my son. Especially now.”

 

“Maybe you just have to listen differently.”

 

“The Force tells you to trust me?”

 

“The Force shows me you’re conflicted. It shows me your desire to end the Emperor. To fix things. To try and build a relationship with me. I trust what The Force shows me. Do you want me not to trust you?”

 

“What I want and what you should have never been mutually exclusive,” said Vader. He took a step back surveying their work. “That does it, I think.”

 

“Artoo, start the engine, will you? Lets see how her temps are now.”

 

Artoo chirped an affirmative as Luke climbed up into his cockpit, watching the gages carefully.

 

“Looks good,” he calls out to Vader and Artoo. He lifts himself out of the cockpit as Artoo disengages and is lowered to the ground. “Artoo, why don’t you power down and recharge for a bit? We can run diagnostics in the morning.” Artoo chirps an affirmative and Luke busies himself with Artoos power station. He startles as Vader begins climbing the narrow staircase heading to the second floor. Luke pats Artoo. “You seem to have some stories worth telling, old friend,” he murmurs. Artoo let’s out a series of melancholy toots before plugging in to his power source and powering down. Luke sighed, metalling shaking himself before collecting his few belonging and climbing the stairs.

 

He looked around to see what must have been a staffers quarters. It had a cot in on corner, a small kitchenette outfitted with a small stove, sink, and icebox in another. There was a small table with three chairs as well as small balcony overlooking a large mansion and the forest. The door to the balcony was open, letting in a cool breeze. Luke placed his box of rations and small rucksack on the table.

 

“This is pretty nice,” he said, looking at Vader. Vader gave a sharp nod, pulling out a data stick from his utility belt.

 

“Here,” he said, handing it to Luke. “I’ve uploaded the jackets of the spies that are currently in the Alliance, outlines of military supplies that would crimple Empire forces, and a significant amount of credits.”

 

“Oh,” said Luke, surprised at the lasts piece of information. “Thanks,” he said as he slipped the datastick into his rucksack and opened his box of rations.

 

“Does the Alliance know you are collecting this?”

 

Luke winced, taking a bite from a ration bar. “No. Just Leia. I figured it would be better to ask forgiveness than permission when it came this mission.”

 

Vader nodded. “Wise. They would be fools to trust it. Have them opening it on an air gap system first. They will be wary, but all the information will be usable from a system not connected to any network. Once they see that the information is good they will be more willing to transfer the credits. The credits will not be traced back to myself and will not be traced to the Alliance.”

 

“Thanks,” Luke repeated. He looked up at Vader, giving him a small smile. Then he yawned.

 

Vader nodded again. “There is a water shower in the fresher. I suggest you use it. It will be night soon and we should not linger here after daybreak.” He turned, and walked out onto the balcony.

 

Luke stared out after him, sighing.

 

* * *

 

 

When he was sure the boy was asleep, Vader wandered back into the staffer’s apartment. His son lay on the small cot, on his side, arms crossed over his chest, with one foot popping out from under the thin blanket.

 

Luke, who walked up to him on Bespin, calm despite the fear he was dispelling into the Force. Fear of his own father! The fact that it was not an unfounded fear was a shameful jolt Vader felt under his ribs every time he acknowledged it. There was no reason that the boy should be here, much less be comfortable sleeping in Vader’s presence.

 

He sat down gingerly in the large wooden chair, not wanting to wake his son. He resisted the urge lean his forearms on his knees and hang his head, a compulsion he had not acted on in almost twenty four years.

 

He was under no illusions, he was not a parent to either of his children, but he was a father. _Their father_. It was such an odd concept, simultaneously filling him with rage and sadness and pride and love and _wonder_. He was awed that he and Padmé created such amazing people, yet were robbed of raising them. Knowing them. And still, against all odds, he was able to see himself and his angel in each child. Was this what it was like, being a father? Would he always see bits and pieces of himself and Padmé in the cut of each of their children?

 

He had Padmé’s empathy and Vader’s recklessness. Was there any other explanation for what Luke had offered him? After all the bridges he’s burnt, Luke had offered him a lifeline, maybe not to redemption (he had spilt too much blood, caused to much damage to ever be redeemed) but to something worth staying alive for: a possible relationship with his child.

 

He was under no illusions when it came to Leia. He couldn’t even bring himself to hope for something there. But perhaps, if Luke continued to seek him out in his life, he could at least be content know she was well. Knowing who she was from afar.

What would his Padmé say to him if should could see him now? If she could speak to him. _My love, I am trying to make good on my second chance. I am trying to use my time wisely, whatever time I have left I will live it for them. For you._

He knew that he could not viably sustain his current position for long. He could only provide information for so long before the Emperor would suspect him. He was never good the long game. He did not have the patience for. All he knew was that he would die before betraying his children again. He would die before betraying their mother again.

 

But he would not die while the Emperor still lived.

 

* * *

 

 

Leia lay with her eyes closed and her head in someone’s lap. Nimble fingers combed through her unbraided hair and massaged her scalp. She felt the warmth of the sun on her face and she smiled.

 

“Your hair is so beautiful. Longer than mine ever was,” said a woman’s voice, not entirely unfamiliar.

 

“Mmm,” said Leia, eyes closed, basking in the woman’s ministrations. “’S a bit dry lately.”

 

“Too much sonic,” said the woman. “It used to happen to me too if I hadn’t washed using real water in a while. There’s a Nabooian fauna conditioner that’d I used to use. Leave it in overnight, it worked wonders.”

 

Leia turned her head slightly, slowly opening her eyes. “Okay,” she said, looking up at owner of the hands that kept rubbing her scalp. She was beautiful, this woman, not much older than Leia herself. She had a wide smile and curly long brown her, falling below her elbows. She was looking down at Leia, hungrily taking in her face.

 

“Hello, baby,” she said, tears glistening in her dark brown eyes.

 

“Hello,” said Leia, smiling back. The woman let out a breathy chuckle. “I…I know you.”

 

“I know you do.”

 

“But I can’t place you,” she said frustrated.

 

“It’s okay,” said the woman, running her fingertips from Leia’s temple to her chin, then back up again, wiping a tear from Leia’s eye. Leia didn’t even realize it had fallen.

 

“I hate not knowing,” said Leia peevishly, wiping her face.

 

“I always did too,” laughed the woman, tapping Leia’s nose with her finger. Leia grabbed the woman’s hand, inspecting it. She held her hand up to it, palm to palm. They were exact same size.

 

“You’ve been so brave, my baby. I’m so proud of you.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“But I am worried about you,” said the woman solemnly. Leia let go of the woman’s hand, allowing it to comb through her hair again.

 

“Why?” she asked, looking up at the beautiful face.

 

“I’m worried about your anger. At your father.”

 

“My father is dead,” Leia said automatically.

 

The woman raised her eyebrows. “You know which father I mean, my darling.”

 

“I have nothing to say about him.”

 

“Well, I’m sure that’s not true,” the woman ruefully before sighing. “I’m not saying you need to forgive him, or love him, or even like him. Just don’t hold _on_ to things like him. Don’t repeat his mistakes.”

 

“Well, what do you suppose I do then, hmm? How am I supposed to deal with all of,” she waved her hands in the air, gesturing wildly, “ _that_! Especially when Luke runs off to go play family with the man! It’s absurd!” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

“Your brother is just trying to do the right thing.”

 

“Yeah, well, he’s a fool.”

 

“Take care, my darling. He’s your brother,” the woman scolded softly. “And you know better than anyone that he is many things, but a fool is not one of them.” She paused. “As for your father, I think you need to let yourself feel what you feel about him. Let the anger and fury out. But then let it stay out, not inside of you to fester. Quiet consumption turns to poison, my brave girl.”

 

“He deserves it,” Leia said mulish. “He deserves my fury.”

 

“Yes, baby, he does,” agreed the woman. “But you don’t. Don’t hurt yourself just to hurt him.” Tears started streaming thick and fast down the woman’s face. She clutched Leia’s hand. “I love you so much, baby. You cannot imagine how much I love you. And Luke. I love you both so much.”

 

Leia squeezed back, bewildered, feeling tears fall down her own face. “I – it’s the strangest thing. But I – I love you too. So much. But I can’t place you.”

 

The woman bent down, peppering Leia’s face with kisses. “It’s okay, baby. I know you do. I love you, okay? Tell your brother. I love you both. I’m so sorry, I love you.”

 

“Sorry? Sorry for what?” Leia asked, desperate.

 

“I love you.”

 

Leia blinked and suddenly she was back in her bunk on _Home One_. She sat up, slowly, tears streaming down her face. Putting a hand over her chest, she breathed in a ragged breath.

 

“ _Mother_.”

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This was so hard! I really struggled with this chapter. Believe it or not, it was longer! I had a whole piece of Leia going to the Falcon after her argument with Luke and having a heart to heart with Chewie. It just didn't flow with the chapter and I couldn't find a satisfying way to end it so I ultimately decided to cut it out. Hopefully one day I'll post it as an aside in a separate one shot or something.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this instalment! Thank you for all the kudos, comments, and bookmarks! 
> 
> Up next: Luke brings his information to the Council, Leia has to make a hard decision, and the hunt for Han is underfoot!


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke and Leia come back to the same page

Leia was unbraiding her hair in her personal cabin when Luke landed on _Home One_. She sighed, reaching out to him cautiously, letting him know she was awake and more than open to him visiting. It had been three days since her…dream? Was it a dream? Could it be quantified as a vision? Obi-Wan had said her mother wasn’t a Jedi. Could non-Force sensitive beings communicate using the Force? Was Obi-Wan lying?

She shook her head slightly, trying to dispel a tension headache the had been building for the last three days. She pulled on an old sweater of Hans she had liberated from the _Falcon_. It was baggy over her nightshirt and pants, ending mid-thigh. She looked into her vanity mirror, cuffing the sleeves. She flipped her long hair from under the sweater, grabbing the ends between two fingers.

_Too much sonic._

She startled at the sound of her door buzzing. She walked over and opened it, looking at her brother.

“Hey,” Luke greeted, a smile on his face. He tapped his temple with his forefinger. “I called out to you before I rang. Everything okay?”

She stepped aside, letting him in. “Yeah, sorry. Tired. And a lot on my mind.”

He walked past her as the door slid shut and collapsed on to her small couch. Her cabin consisted of a small bedroom, sitting room with a couch and desk, and an attached fresher. It was bigger than most Rebel rooms, and she didn’t share. She long ago accepted certain things came along with her position, no matter how impractical. Still, usually she would have protested, but by the time she arrived on _Home One_ , she had no fight left to spare.  

So, you’re alive,” she said slightly sardonically.

“Yup,” said Luke, smiling slightly. “All in one piece.”

“Good,” she collapsed next to him, budging her legs with his so he’d sit up. The twins faced each other.

“So, what do you want to know?” he asked, then winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I just – I know – I know this is hard for you. So, how much do you want to know?”

“I don’t know,” she said slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. She simultaneously wanted to know everything about their meeting and nothing. Glaring at Luke’s shoulder, she asked, “Did he give you anything?”

“Yeah,” said Luke, reaching into his utility belt and pulling out the data stick. “I haven’t checked them myself yet, but he said it contains jackets of the spies that have currently infiltrated the Alliance, outlines of military supplies that would crimple Empire forces, and a significant amount of credits.”

“ _What_?” she said, grabbing the data stick from his hand. “Spies? Are you kidding?” She got up, practically running over to her tablet.

“Leia, he said we may want to open it on an airtight system. To, make sure the files weren’t tampered with. Maybe in the morning? To draw less attention?”

“What?” she said, hand halfway about to stick the stick into the port on the side.

“ _Wait_ ,” said Luke. “You can’t do anything without the High Council approval anyway. Isn’t spy work and counterintelligence Draven’s wheelhouse anyway?”

_( I hate not knowing._

_I always did, too. )_

She let out a long, calculated sigh. She moved back to her couch and sat down. “Why did he suggest an airtight system?”

 “He figured it would make his offer more credible. No shot of him planting a bug within the system and compromising Alliance intel.”

“That’s rich,” she snorted. “He’s warning you he isn’t trustworthy while asking you to trust him.”

“Well, according to him, what he wants, and what he thinks we – I should do are _very_ different things.”  

“Ah,” she said, leaning back. “So you _did_ talk about me.” 

Luke winced. “Not like you think. I didn’t tell him anything about you. Just that you did know about my trip, and did not approve. He thinks you’re wise not to trust him. He thinks I’m going to get myself killed.”

Leia stewed. She was loath to agree with Vader. So, she ignored it. “Anything else?” 

Luke shrugged. “I mean, there was a lot. It was like he was trying to…to be a person after a very long time, and was not very good at it. Not that I thought he was disingenuous…but more like he was out of practice and awkward. It was…interesting.”

“Interesting?” she said, tonelessly.

“Yeah…he tries not to show it, but he’s so conflicted. His clear objectives of helping us stand starkly against the conflict with everything else.”

Leia didn’t say anything. She felt her anger bubble up in her chest. How convenient that he wants to help them _now_. Not before. Before he froze Han. Before Alderaan. Before Obi-Wan, and Owen and Beru.

“Oh, yeah,” said Luke, letting out a guffaw. She wanted to hit him.

( _I’m worried about your anger)_

“So – he built Threepio.”

“ _What??”_

“Yeah, apparently he built him when he was nine. For our grandmother.”

“I – I don’t understand. Threepio??”

“Yes…our…he is Threepio’s maker.”

Leia leaned her forearms on her knees, letting out a breath that sounded close to a laugh, but wasn’t. “That is insane.”

“I know. After our grandmother was killed, he and…and our mother took him with them. Artoo was hers, and when he went off to war, they traded. Mom had a soft spot for Threepio and kept him in her household. How your family ended up with either of them is a mystery.”

“Our Mother had him?” Leia asked, looking up. And all at once, she burst into tears. Luke scrambled, arm around her shoulders and pulling her towards him. She went willingly. 

“Hey, hey,” he said softly as she cried into his shoulder. “Leia, please, talk to me. You’ve been off since I got back. Is it all him? We don’t have to talk about him, Leia. I’m sorry. I’m so –”

“No,” she gasped. “No, it’s not…it’s not all him. It’s –” she took a shuddering breath, trying to center herself. He gripped her tightly, resting his cheek on her forehead, trying to soothe her. “Luke, I don’t know what exactly it was, and I didn’t realize who she was until it was over. But I dreamed of her.”

“Of our mother?” he asked.

“Yes. But I didn’t realize who she was when I was dreaming. She was crying and so was I but I couldn’t figure out why. But I knew I loved her. And she said she loved us, Luke. She wanted me to tell you she loves us so much.”

“She did?” he asked, tears falling from his eyes.

“Yeah,” said Leia, laughing a little.

“What else?”

“She did. She told me to use a Nabooian conditioner for my dry hair and that she’s worried about my anger. She’s worried I’m going to hold onto it and let it poison me. Like _him_. But I’m so angry, Luke. And I don’t know how to do.”

“It’s okay,” Luke said. “We will work on it. I’ll help you. We will figure it out.”

“It was her Luke,” she said, awed. “It wasn’t just a dream.”

“I know. I believe you, Leia.” 

“How did she do it? Obi-Wan said she wasn’t a Jedi.”

“Maybe she was force sensitive. Maybe it was a secret.”

“How? With all the tests at birth?”

“I…I could ask. Him,” said Luke. Leia sighed noisily.

“I guess.”

The twins were silent for a moment.

“How did she look,” asked Luke softly.

“She was…beautiful,” said Leia. “Sad, but so beautiful.” She squeezed his hand, and closed her eyes, sharing the dream or vision or whatever it was with her.

He let out a soft “Oh.”

The Skywalker twins were silent for a long while after that.

“Do you think this what our life could have been like? In another universe where…things were normal, we’d be in this exact same spot, complaining about our parents?” 

“I think that’s a stretch,” Leia said dryly, wiping her eyes on Hans borrowed sleeve and sitting up straight. “But…maybe? I don’t know, Luke. It gives me a headache to think about it, so why bother? This is our life. The past is the past. We are where we are.”

“I guess,” said Luke. He laughed a little. “You weren’t totally off base. With our fight. I think about what life could have been like. If Mom lived or if Father didn’t fall. I understand why you don’t. You had your parents name. But as much as I loved Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, I was a Skywalker.”

“I know,” she said softly. Tatooine culture was so saturated with personal history. She understood why on an academic level, but she sometimes wondered if it would have been easier for Luke if he was just made into a Lars. If Beru and Owen let him call them Mom and Dad, as opposed to just treating him like his son. He was their son, in every sense of the word, except name. Would her brother have had this longing? This desire to fill in his (their) history? Or was this a Luke thing? She thought it might be. Luke wanted answers just as much as she did, but was honest with himself to why he wanted them.

“So,” said Luke, voice raspy. He cleared his throat. “So, tomorrow?”

“I’ve scheduled a meeting for 0900. Go get some sleep. You’ve got quite the case to make.”

“Yeah,” he said, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “I…it’s going to be…something.” He stood up yawning. “Try and get a few hours sleep before you look at that data stick.”

“I’ll try.” Luke opened his mouth. “Don’t,” said Leia, holding up a finger to silence him. “Don’t say it.”  

Luke laughed and they smiled at each other. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

“Count on it,” she responded.

He left her cabin and she sighed running her hand through her hair. She would keep her word to her brother and try and sleep before looking at the data stick. She got up and walked into her bedroom. Pulling her bedding down she laid down in her bed, tucking herself in. _But if I am still up in an hour, I’m going to get dressed and search those files_ she said to herself. Sighing again, she closed her eyes, willing her mind to relax. She replayed her dream in her mind's eye, imagining a beautiful but sad woman brushing Leia’s hair back.

_Your hair is so beautiful. Longer than mine ever was…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha YIKES.
> 
> So I went to have one job to three which is an excuse no one cares about but hopefully can get back on track. I'm also hoping to go back and edit for grammar and the like (bc double yikes). 
> 
> Sorry, friends!
> 
> Thank you for your patience! Thanks for reading, leaving comments/kudos, and favoriting.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia looks for any damning evidence on the data stick and Luke pleads his case to the High Council.

Leia was startled out of sleep four and a half hours later from a dream she couldn’t remember. She figured it was better than no sleep, frankly it was more sleep then she had gotten recently. She showered and dressed, and made her way with the data stick to General Draven’s spy offices. Despite the early hour, _Home One_ was buzzing with activity. She walked with purpose, barely noticing the beings she passed.

When she arrived in Draven’s main office, he was speaking quietly to one of his captains. The looked up when she entered the room, both inclining their heads in respect.

“Princess,” said the General, echoed by the captain.

“Good morning gentlemen. General, do you have a moment?” 

“Yes Princess,” he said, nodding once to his Captain. He nodded back, nodded to Leia, and purposefully walked out of the office.

“I’ll get right to the point,” she said, showing him the data stick. “Last night, when Commander Skywalker returned to _Home One_ , he gave me this data stick. He has a source within the Empire that allegedly provided jackets of the spies that have currently infiltrated the Alliance, outlines of imperial military supplies lines, and a significant amount of credits.”

“ _What_?” said Draven, shock coloring his usually even-keeled tone. “Haven’t you been saying for years that Skywalker would make a terrible spy?”

“I have,” she said, not wanting to dwell on why Luke _would be_ a terrible spy, and why he _didn’t_ in this particular instance. She opened her palm, letting the stick lay upwards, facing the shocked general. “And he’s not a spy, just a point of contact. However, I wanted to bring you this stick as soon as possible. I want to open it on an airtight system to make sure there are no nasty virus’ or code to give away our location.”

Draven seemed to physically shake himself. “Right,” he said, taking the data stick form Leia’s outstretched hand. “Let’s get started.”

 

* * *

  

About two hours later Leia, Draven, and one of Draven’s most trust techies were still gathered around the airtight system that was situated in a smaller office connected to Draven’s main office.

"Is there any other test you can run on this, Privet?” Leia asked Privet Matika.

“I have two more diagnostics I’d like to run, Princess,” the young woman responded, dark eyes not leaving the screen. “But so far all of my tests are coming up clean.”

“Are you positive?” asked Leia.

“As of now, yes.” 

“I know this information needs to be acted on as soon as possible, but I need you to be as thorough as possible.” Leia looked at her wristwatch. “General, we need to leave now if we are to make our meeting on time.”

The General was already looking at her when she looked up. He nodded. He clapped Privet Matika on the shoulder. “Nesta, if anything urgent comes up, comm me immediately.”

“Yes, sir.”

Leia and the General set off together.

“I thought you trusted Commander Skywalker.”

“I do.”

“Then why are you so suspicious of his information?”

“I’m being cautious. If this information is legitimate, it can change the tide of the war.”

“Do you know who his source is?”

“Does it matter?”

“It gives context to the information, and how far we can trust it,” he said bluntly.

“I’m sure Commander Skywalker coupled with Privet Matika’s investigation will give you all the context you will need, General.”

“If the information is uncompromised.”

“Obviously,” responded Leia.

“You didn’t answer the question, Princess.”

Leia turned to look him square in the eye. “I didn’t realize I was being interrogated, General.” They stood outside the war room, at an impasse. He held out an arm, gesturing for her to enter first. She smiled icily at the would-be polite gesture, and walked through the door, head high.

 

* * *

 

Luke stood with they eyes of the leaders of the High Council upon him. Chancellor Mon Mothma, General Jan Dodonna and Admiral Gial Ackbar looked at Luke with varying levels of polite curiosity, while General Draven was a mask of indifference.

He looked very calm, face expressionless, but Leia felt his trepidation through their connection. How different he looked from the fresh-faced farm boy, boundless enthusiasm and naïveté. Of course, Luke was never as naïve as he projected, growing up in a place as lawless as Tatooine. Still, the war had taken a toll. She mentally shook her melancholy thoughts and Luke laced his fingers behind his back.

“I – thank you for coming this morning. I know you are all very busy, so I will try and be as direct as I can. I recently have been in contact with a high-ranking member of the Empire. This person gave me a data stick that I was told is comprised of a list of spies that have currently infiltrated the Alliance, outlines of imperial military supplies lines, and wire amount of credits. When I returned back to _Home One_ last night, I gave this data stick to Princess Leia.”

There was a murmur of interest in the room. “Yes,” said Leia, open her datapad to read their exact findings. “I scheduled to the meeting and met with General Draven early in the morning. He, I, and a Privet Matika took apart the datastick on an airtight system. It does, in fact, have the jackets of fourteen spies, several imperial supply lines, as well as, one hundred and forty-five thousand credits.” Mon, Dodonna, and Ackbar all gasped. Luke tried to mask his surprise at the number of credits but his shock filtered through their connection. Leia’s comm began to ring with a call from Lando, but she ignored it. If he called back immediately, she would know it was an emergency and would step out to receive the call, but she didn’t want to leave Luke alone unless it was dire.

“Is this information clean?” asked Mon, looking between Luke and Leia.

“It seems so far,” said Leia. “Privet Matika is being as thorough as possible. We have her running a two more diagnostics right now, but she seems confident.”

“Commander,” said Ackbar, “how did you come across this source?”

Leia refused to react. She looked over Luke’s shoulder, not waiting to see what she could feel. This. This was the hard part. She made this meeting as small as possible because she didn’t see how the Generals would let her brother leave this room without giving at least one of them his source. And because his source was _Darth fucking Vader_ , she could not see a scenario where even he told just Draven or Mon on or the other would not feel like they would have to take that source to committee.

(this was the meat of it that Han hated. Han hated the bureaucracy, the _self-righteous bullshit that the brass takes_ as he would say. _What’s the problem? The information is clean, you can finally pay your people with the money. Who cares where it comes from! Use it! )_

(she sometimes imagines conversations between Han and her father. She doesn’t think Papa would have liked him at first. Much like herself, Han would have grown on him. She is sure of that. Most of the time.)

(her Papa would know what to do here.)

( _I am not a committee_!)

“I…encountered him on Bespin, when I went to rescue Princess Leia and Captain Solo.”

“Was it planned?” asked Dodonna.

“Why haven’t you disclosed this person before? If he was a potential source?” asked Draven.

“It wasn’t planned,” said Luke, “well, at least on my part. And I never considered this person to be a source. It was completely unexpected.”

“Why did you leave it out of your report?” asked Mon.

“I wanted…to make sure the source had real information.”

“Commander it was not your place to verify this information,” said Draven. “As Princess Leia has said on multiple occasions over the years, you are neither a spy nor are you an intelligence office. Once you had established a source you should have followed protocol. If this information is as legitimate as it seems, it would benefit from a seasoned officer to retrieve this information.”

“I apologize,” said Luke. “But with all due respect, I do not think the source would work with anyone but myself.”

“Why is that, Commander?” asked Ackbar.

 _You knew this would happen, didn't you?_ Luke asked, understanding Leia's need to find a flaw in the datastick. _I’m sorry._ “Because the source is Darth Vader.”

The room was silent.

“Excuse me?” said Mon.

“Why in the bleeding hell would Darth Vader give up the empire? He’s second in command for Force sake!” said Ackbar.

“I don’t understand,” said Draven, glancing at Leia. “Why would Vader freeze Captain Solo if he wanted to help the Alliance?”

“Vader…knew I would feel Han’s anguish through the Force. I knew Leia and Han were in trouble. He wanted to meet me in person to talk.”

Leia held back a snort, but only just. 

“So he tortured your friend, just to give you information? Why didn’t he give you the information then, if he planned on defecting? Why meet four weeks later?”

“He…didn’t plan on defecting then,” explained Luke, the slow realization of what he would have to do dawning on him. “He tried to persuade me to join him. He wants the Emperor gone. He doesn’t want to replace him with himself. He has no desire to be Emperor.”

“That’s ridicules,” said Dodonna.

“I’d have to agree,” said Mon. “Commander, I’m afraid there is no reason other than to manipulate you for Vader to join our cause. He has been the Emperors watchdog since the very beginning of the Empire. He is one of the biggest proponents of the extinction of the Jedi. He is the reason you have no master to train you.”

“That is correct, Chancellor,” said Luke. “But he recently –”

“That is not what concerns me,” said Draven. “Why you? By all accounts, the Empire hates the Jedi. Why would he want to deal with you? Why wouldn't any other officer work?”

Luke stared at Draven for a long moment. “Because he is my father.”

The room was silent a long moment. And then it erupted. Leia didn’t hear what the three leaders of the High Council said. It dimmed as she looked at her brother, vividly recalling their conversation from years ago.

_("We don't tell anyone," said Leia quietly._

_Luke laughed bitterly. "I thought you said it doesn't matter."_

_"It shouldn't to us," Leia said with a resigned determination "but it will to them.")_

“So you’ve lied all this time?” asked Ackbar. “You used a dead man's name to –”

“I have _not_ lied,” said Luke forcefully. “My name is true. Anakin Skywalker is my father. He betrayed the Jedi, gave up his name, and was renamed by his Sith Master: Darth Vader.”

“Skywalker –” said Mon, putting a hand over her mouth, glancing at Leia. She was the only one who knew what was true for Luke, was true for Leia. Leia looked away from her mentor, aware of what must be going through her head.

“But you have lied,” said Draven. “You failed to report –”

“What good would it have done?” snapped Luke, losing his temper. “I didn’t even know until I was nearly twenty years old. I had to reconcile who my father was to who he is today, and you’re mad I didn’t turn myself into the High Council? For a connection I had _nothing_ to do with, no control over. The first time I ever met him was on Bespin, and I went into the situation with the very real expectation I would have to fight him. That he would try to _kill_ me!”

“But he didn’t,” said Mon.

“No.”

“You say you don’t know him, but he seemed to know you well enough that at the first chance he had, he was able to manipulate you into meeting him. Did he tell you how long he had been tracking you? For all you know he could have been watching you since you were a child,” said Dodonna.

“He was told I died with my mother. He had no idea I existed until after I destroyed the Death Star.”

“So his motives –”

“Do his motives matter?” asked Leia, surprising even herself. “Have Privet Matika run ever diagnostic she can on the stick. If it clears, we should use it. Pay off some of our debts. Detain and question the spies who infiltrated us. I am extremely wary of every piece of information, every credit, _everything_ this man offers us. But if it checks out, we’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we don’t use it.”

“Princess, I would think you of all people would not trust the word of Darth Vader. Or anyone connected to him,” said Dodonna, disapprovingly.

Leia looked at him, wishing she was stunned. “Believe me General, I don’t trust Vader. But I trust Luke.”

“Well between the lack of transparency on your last report, Commander, coupled with this newest piece of news, the council has a lot to think about,” commented Ackbar.

“Commander, I think you should step outside while we finish this conversation,” said Draven. “And don’t leave base until we’ve decided – ” but he stopped, mid-sentence, as Leia stood.

 _Leia,_ thought Luke _don’t -_

“If you are all so dedicated to being one hundred percent transparent, let me illuminate you on three parts. One, this is not the first time the Alliance has taken in defectors or defector intelligence. I would be remiss if I didn't remind you that Commander Skywalker is neither of those things. Two, if you are so keen on damning Commander Skywalker for the sins of his biological father, then you should know that his mother was Padmé Amidala, a founding member of this very Alliance. And three,” she said, pausing for a breathe, looking into the eyes of every other member of the council, “Commander Skywalker is my twin brother. My father and General Kenobi separated us shortly after our birth to keep us safe from the Empire. On his deathbed, my father told me about Luke. If you all can forget the sacrifices my brother has made for this rebellion, I hope that you will not forget mine. If you do not trust Commander Skywalker, you do not trust me.”

With that, she turned to exit the room. She would take her brother and they would comm Lando back. They would work on finding Han. She felt her brother’s presence at her side and in her mind, but she couldn’t acknowledge him yet, needing to find her center of gravity after what she just did.

The last Princess of Alderaan and the Last Jedi walked out of the Rebel Alliance High Command war room, leaving stunned faces in their wake.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yowza! My poor twins :(
> 
> I'm not entirely thrilled with this, but I really wanted to post it tonight so here it is.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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